So Torn
by Myurra-K
Summary: When Tohru comes knocking on the Sohma residence doors, Hatsuharu finds himself in a position he never thought he would be in.What had Akito done to her to leave her so broken? And why did he do it? Can he mend her, or will he end up breaking her too?
1. Violence In Silence 暴力の沈黙で

**So Torn**

**+Myurra-K+**

_~`;'~_

**Please Note:** This will have mentions of Rape/Abuse and Violence. Will contain slash/coarse language and themes.

**Rating:** T

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Fruits Basket. It is merely a fan fiction story and I am earning nothing from it except encouragement and experience.

**A/N:** Yeah, this is my first official Fruits Basket story. It is based right after the anime seeing as I haven't read all the manga books yet and I need Akito to be a male. *shrug*

* * *

**Chapter 1**

**Violence In Silence**

Hatsuharu groaned at the sound of frantic knocking reaching the side-door of the building. It was the furthest entry from Akito's side of the manor, and therefore the safest place to knock. But at the time, it didn't seem that safe. The zodiac teen growled as he felt his black-side stirring. Whoever was waking him up at this time of the morning had better have a good reason.

Grumbling to himself, he pulled his body up from the low bed, standing on his shaky legs with ease. The frantic knocks were getting louder and louder with each passing moment, and he was on the verge of yelling. His black side was out.

Though, as soon as he opened the door, all his anger washed from his body and through his feet as white-Haru returned. Curled around herself, her hand clenched and shaking as it rested in the doorway, probably after finding no door left to knock on. Her knuckles were bloodied, she was dressed the farthest thing from decent, a sheer nightgown wrapped around her trembling body. Her hair cascaded down around her submissively bowed head, covering her eyes. But he knew who it was…

"Tohru?" he murmured, still standing. The girl's bloodied hand shot out, grabbing his ankle and squeezing. A loud sob escaped her throat, and she let go of the night-gown. It fell open, though she didn't care, as she grasped his ankle with her other hand as well.

Haru was frozen, when her gown fell open, it revealed her pale, marred skin. Bruises and scratches were new and apparent, some bleeding. She was trembling so violently he thought she may have been having a seizure. Glancing around, he seen clearly the conditions she had arrived it. The ground was covered in a thick layer of snow and ice, a harsh wind whipping at his side even from inside the house.

"Haru…please, help me…I feel it, I feel it moving. Oh god, Haru, help me!" she sobbed, falling foreword, one hand releasing his ankle to wrap around her bare stomach. Without another moment's hesitation, Haru fell to his knees, an arm coming across her back to lift her from the ground, against his chest.

At first, he expected to transform, but he remembered Tohru had broken that single part of the curse many years ago. They still transformed when physically, mentally or emotionally exhausted, but they were free to love. It was the biggest blessing Tohru could have brought to their family.

_~`;'~_

_She came calling_

_One early morning_

_She showed her crown of thorns_

_~`;'~_

Lifting her in his arms, he carefully brought her inside. It was quite obvious what had happened to her, but he couldn't be sure. He needed to know before he started breaking down doors. It was bad enough he suffered a personality disorder, let alone having murder on his conscience. But this, this may be an acceptation. Tohru was part of the Sohma's now, and hurting her was hurting everyone.

Whoever did this really has a death wish.

Tohru clung to him desperately, though even that seemed hesitant. Like she didn't want to trust him, but found herself with no one else to trust. She could have gone to Yuki or Kyo, but then again, he didn't know what happened. Depending on the circumstance, maybe he had been the best option.

Guiding her to his bed, he ripped his blankets from where they had been placed under the matrass. Draping them over her shoulders, he was careful not to touch her skin. He placed a hand on her covered shoulder, waiting until her eyes met his. He seen something in them he never thought he would…distrust…

"I'm just going to get you some tea, I'll be right back." he murmured. She nodded, staring straight ahead once again. Heading to the kitchen, he came across Hatori who was sitting there, head in his folded arms. I touched his shoulder, and he jumped. His eyes were red, as though he had been crying.

"Haru…" he rasped, before shaking his head and dropping it against his folded arms again. Haru didn't have time for this, whatever Hatori's problems were, they had to wait. Torhu needed his help a lot more. Going straight to the already-boiled kettle, he cautiously took out a single large mug and filled it most of the way.

Leaving the room and the other, more depressed zodiac, he ventured silently to his own room again. Tohru had slid her legs under the covers of his bed, holding the blankets around her body tightly so as to keep warm. Haru would have smiled at the innocent puzzlement on her face as she breathed in his scent. He always knew she had a sensitive nose, and was quite partial to Kyo and Yuki's distinct smells. He wondered if his smell was what comforted her, maybe that's why she came to him.

"I have your tea," he whispered, kneeling down in front of her, but still to the side so he didn't startle her. She took it slowly, not looking at him. He sighed to himself, how was he supposed to get anything out of her when she was like this?

"I can't believe they did nothing…" she murmured under her breath.

_~`;'~_

_She whispered softly_

_To tell her story_

_About how she had been wronged_

_~`;'~_

"I trusted them, and they just stood there. I did nothing, Haru, and it was me that he hurt. Why? I did everything for them, the weight of the world on my shoulders just to see them smile, and they stood there." she cried, silent tears running down her face.

"What…what happened?" Haru murmured.

"I don't know. I was just cleaning up after dinner, Hatori and Akito had been especially polite on what they had eaten. They even complimented my cooking. But something went wrong… Akito told them it was time for their punishment." she murmured, her eyes hollow as she stared beyond Haru. "They stood aside and watched as he threw me to the ground, how he had struck me. They watched, and said nothing as he removed my clothes, when he took advantage of me. Not even Shigure or Hatori stopped him. Yuki and Kyo left the room, saying they couldn't watch anymore. What about me, Haru? What about what I wanted?"

"Tohru, did all this happen tonight?" Haru asked, his voice merely a rasp as he voiced the question. She nodded mutely, tears spilling over her cheeks again.

_~`;'~_

_How as she lay lifeless_

_He had taken her innocence_

_She could not hide her tears_

_Because they were sent to wash away her fears._

_~`;'~_

His hands clenched as he felt his black side course through his veins again. Even if it was Akito who had hurt her, they had hurt her more. They hadn't stopped what could have obviously been stopped. The poor girl was raped, for crying out loud! And they had the guts to just stand there?

"I'll be back." he muttered, his voice dark. She looked up, hurt and shock in her eyes. She was afraid.

"Please, please don't hate me Haru!" she cried, closing her eyes and gripping her cup tighter. He took a deep breath, desperately trying to remember that it was natural for people to blame themselves. But part of him was telling himself that this was ridiculous. That she shouldn't see herself as the one to blame. That she should just let him go over there and rip them to bits.

She must have heard something crack, because her eyes opened again in shock. He was glaring distractedly out the window, jaw set. He noticed that he was clenching and unclenching his teeth, making the movement of a bone in his jaw visible from where she was. His hands were clenched that tight, nails pressing into the flesh of his palms. Suddenly, a sharp pain stretched up his arm, scraping along his nerves. Looking at his hands, blood was steadily beading from the cuts.

Tohru's cold fingers gently laced around his wrist, making him jump in surprise. She brushed her thumb over the wounds. He looked toward her quizzically, how could anyone hurt such a precious person who even in their own times of pain can only think of others? How?

"It's not your fault, Tohru. Your not alone…" he murmured, pulling his wrist slowly from her grasp. She blinked at her own empty hands, before looking up at him. He smiled sadly, arms moving behind her back, pulling her against his chest tightly. "…I'm here for you."

He couldn't help but feel his heart break the slightest bit more as she cried into his shirt, her fingers gripping the lose chains around his neck. His dark grey eyes slid closed as he gave her body a secure and reassuring squeeze. he had never seen Tohru break down before, and his dark side only stirred in it's wake.

_~`;'~_

_My anger's violent_

_But still I'm silent_

_Her jaw showed of strikes at home_

_~`;'~_

Running his hand through her hair, he tucked a few lose strands behind her ear. He knew how she would be feeling. She would be trying to pretend that he wasn't a male. She would be trying to convince herself that she was indeed in the arms of someone safe, that he wouldn't hurt her. And he knew how hard it would be for her to convince herself that. But in all honesty, as long as she was in his grasp, she would be safe.

He could hear the door open, and Hatori stood in it's frame. His red, bloodshot eyes widened at the sight of Tohru being held tightly by Haru, rocked gently. Hatori went to enter the room, but Haru's eyes narrowed, glaring at him to stay where he was. Hatori gulped, black-Haru was with Tohru now, she wouldn't be harmed.

Haru always knew his other personality always had a soft spot for his family, his friends. If Momiji came to him about Akito, his dark side would instantly take over and comfort the boy. It was as though his dark side was their light. His dark side was their warmth, he kept them grounded to any and all that came about. His white side couldn't protect them the way his dark side was. His white side was the one who cleaned them up after he knew they felt safe. He had acted as Kisa's safe-wall against Akito, he had substituted Shigure on occasion when Yuki needed comfort. But never had he ever thought he would be here with Tohru in his arms.

His dark side was so protective when he was pulling people back to their feet, he wouldn't let anyone else near, and he always made sure they were fully healed before he let anyone else close. But with Tohru, she had been hurt beyond what he would have ever thought possible of Akito. And the worst part was that his dark side knew that she had to go back. But either way, it didn't stop her from remaining under his safety by her choice.

He would do anything for her, the girl who had taught him more than one thing in the years he had known her, as few as they were.

And right now, right now her hands were pulling her body as close to his as she could, trying to seek the security that had been lost to her that night. That sense of self that had once been grounded within her, that had sunk through her feet. And the realization that it had been him she had come to rather than her school friends or even another Sohma she knew better, it made him smile warmly to himself. She would be alright.

* * *

**TBC - R&R**

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A/N: Alright, now that the opening chapter is over, lets see what happens next time? Remember, Reviews are like my tarot cards, they tell me to write!

~MK

Velveteen Deceptions**  
**


	2. Facing The Grey グレー見開き

**So Torn**

**+MyurraKitty+**

~`;'~

**Please Note:** This will have mentions of Rape/Abuse and Violence. Will contain _slash_/coarse language and themes.

**Rating: T**

Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket. It is merely a fan fiction story and I am earning nothing from it except encouragement and experience.

**A/N:** Alright, I want to apologise to everyone who has favourited, reviewed and alerted this story for my lack of continuation till this point - please forgive me! Southpark merely corrupted my brain *sobs*

* * *

**Chapter 2**

**Facing The Grey**

Hatsuharu awoke before anyone else that day, eyes resting on the girl sleeping in his bed across the room from him. Tohru had came to him, of all people she had came to him. Despite always having a soft spot for the girl who made Yuki smile again, he'd never felt this fierce toward her offenders.

For some reason, he was stuck between black and white today. It wasn't something that happened often, not to say it had never happened before, but he was unusually calm despite his anger. He had felt almost wrathful that night, and he was still ropeable even now. But the only thing on his mind was making sure Tohru wasn't hurt again.

A knock came on the door, and Haru groaned to himself as he stood from where he'd fallen asleep slouched against the wall. The door opened, and Hiro stuck his head in. His eyes narrowed at Tohru curled up on the bed, tossing gently from night demons.

"Hiro." Haru stated gruffly, gaining the younger Sohma's attention. He looked over, but continued to glance at Tohru from the corner of his eye.

"Is Honda-san hurt?" he asked. For a brief moment, Haru felt like laughing. Hiro had never even in the slightest sounded concerned for Tohru's health, and yet still the concern in the boy's brown eyes was enough to make Haru consider wether or not he'd spent too much time around Kisa.

"It's nothing to concern yourself with." Haru stated automatically, moving in front of Hiro's distracted line-of-sight. The Ram frowned.

"Yeah right." he snorted. "Kisa and I were over Shigure's last night when Hatori and Akito dropped by. They told us that we shouldn't be there now and that it was safest to go home. What happened, Hatsuharu." Hiro demanded.

"Where's Kisa." Haru said softly. Hiro's gaze softened at the mention of the girl's name, turning so his side faced Haru.

"She's sleeping." he said. Haru nodded, lips pulled into a grim thin line. After a few moments of convincing, Hiro eventually went to get the young girl after the promise of Tohru explaining what she wanted him to know herself. Closing the door behind the boy, Haru sighed and turned to look back at Tohru who was stirring.

Sitting on the end of the bed, careful not to touch Tohru's legs as he did so, Haru gently shook the girl awake. She mumbled incoherently before her eyes shot open. Haru pulled his hand back quickly, not wanting her to know he'd touched her shoulder in case it frightened her too much.

Tohru blinked blearily for a few moments before shooting up in bed, spurting out several sentences at once about making Yuki and Kyo breakfast and getting ready for school. Unfortunately she winced when she sat up, and the realisation as to what happened to make her so sore where she'd never hurt before came rocking back at her.

She locked gazes with Haru and winced back momentarily, back hitting the wall. Haru smiled sadly at the frightened girl.

"Tohru, there's someone who wants to see you." he said gently. She eyed him sceptically, still not saying anything, until the door opened. Tohru flinched, Hiro and Kisa entering and closing the door behind themselves. Tohru's eyes settled on the Tiger and her vision blurred as watery tears gathered and rolled down her cheeks.

"K-kisa…" she said softly. The girl stared at her, owl-eyed, before leaping up onto the bed and throwing herself into Tohru's lap. Hiro watched as Kisa and Tohru embraced, Kisa repeating the question he'd asked Haru earlier. What happened to Tohru?

Haru watched the two on the bed, eyes twisted with sadness and happiness at the same time. Hiro noted the look as one of extreme affection, the same look he and Kisa gave one another. The same one Kyo and Yuki gave Tohru, and each other.

Haru gestured with his head for Hiro to stand beside him, throwing an arm over the younger male's shoulders they both watched and waited until Tohru and Kisa calmed down. "Big sister, what happened to you…" Kisa wondered aloud. Hiro flinched as Tohru did, Haru looking down at his feet.

"It was Akito wasn't it." Hiro said softly. Tohru's eyes welled with tears, but she sniffled and nodded. "He did _that_, didn't he. The same thing he did to Rin." he said. Tohru nodded again, sobbing quietly against Kisa's hair. Hiro's fists clenched. "And no one helped you."

Haru could feel something stirring at Hiro's words, as though the boy was saying them with the intention of hurting Tohru further. Only, he found the boy was no longer under the weight of his arm. He was standing beside the bed, a hand on Kisa's shoulder and another brushing tears of Tohru's cheek. The young woman's large chocolate eyes shone up at him in bewilderment, Hiro was actually trying to comfort her.

Haru smiled softly, knowing somewhere that Hiro knew Tohru was part of the family. She lived under a Sohma roof, with Sohma zodiacs and the cursed cat. She'd relieved the zodiacs of their burden that stood as an obstacle to love. She was the one who had made them all smile again - and despite knowing this it was a Sohma that destroyed her.

His chest tightened as he watched her cuddle into Kisa, welcoming Hiro's touch as she leaned into his hand. Why was it that seeing her vulnerable was more beautiful then seeing her secure? It was sad, and yet, it filled Haru with warmth. He wanted to see her smile again, he didn't want to see her hurt.

He wanted to se her happy again. And he wanted to be the one who helped her smile.

_~`;'~_

_Why Should I Welcome Your Dominations?_

_Why Should I Listen To Explanations?_

_I'm Not Trying To Make It Simple_

_Try To Be Something Experimental_

_~`;'~_

"Haru." Tohru whispered, stroking Kisa's hair while the girl lay sleeping on her lap. Hiro was sleeping beside her, a hand possessively held in Kisa's. The Ox looked up from where he was sitting in the corner. "Why do you sit so far?"

"If you want me to sit closer than I will." he said softly. She paused, looking slightly frightened at the bluntness of his statement, but nodded reassuringly to herself and to him. She patted the bed beside her on the opposite side to where Hiro was laying.

Haru stood, heart thrumming as he sat down gently beside her. Still mindful of touching her, he sat further back, one knee tucked to the side while the other leg was bent and straight out beside Tohru, elbow resting on the propped knee as he watched the smooth motions of Tohru's fingers in Kisa's hair.

A memory suddenly came to him, back when he'd run into Tohru and Yuki in the rain once, Kisa being just the bundle of defensive fur she was had leapt out of his arms and bitten Tohru's hand when he went to pat her - mistaking the tiger cub for being a kitten.

Haru remembered being at a loss of words as Tohru yelped in surprise and pain, and later at Shigure's house he'd been the one to bandage Tohru's hand while she insisted that Kisa wasn't in the wrong. He'd remembered trying to Keep Tohru's arm still while he cleaned the cuts, but the hyperactive girl had been so hard to deal with. And despite being annoyed, he'd caught himself smiling at her antics moments before Yuki could and had forced the blank look back onto his own face.

Haru started as the back of Tohru's head leant back under his chin and against his chest, jolting him out of his absentminded daydreaming. She sniffled dryly, turning to nuzzle into the base of his neck - seeking comfort. Haru raised his arms, about to wrap them around Tohru's shoulders, but hesitated at the last moment.

"Why be so afraid? Is touching me such a bad thing?" she murmured, her voice downcast and toneless. Haru tensed, shaking his head.

"Its not that - I just don't want to hurt you more than you are. I wont be like them, Tohru, I swear it. I'll be here for you, but I couldn't stand it if you didn't trust me." he said. Tohru, who had been tense before, relaxed against Haru completely.

"I trust you."

Haru's arms gently moved around her, holding her against him delicately. She continued to lean back into the warmth, as though refusing to move away from it.

Hiro stirred an hour or so later, caught sight of Haru with Tohru cuddled against his chest and Kisa on Tohru's lap. Smiling, he moved so that his head was beside Kisa's and relaxed again. "Sister Tohru will be alright Kisa. I'm sure of it." he said softly, touching his fingertips to the small girl's cheek.

_~`;'~_

_No Longer Waiting, Remove Illusions_

_No More Complaining, Forget Confusion_

_No More Confession, Not Sentimental_

_I Am Now Something Experimental_

_~`;'~_

Tohru didn't wake again until late that afternoon. She felt the warmth around her, Haru's arms encasing her told her that as much security as she had lost, she still had some left here in the Sohma family.

The one thought crossed her mind that instant was how she was supposed to face Shigure's household again? Could she really get away with just sleeping and pretending that they wouldn't be looking for her? Could she really just stay in Haru's arms and pretend he was the only one in the world besides her?

And then she realised - why had she come to Haru of all people? Sure, they'd had their moments together and had been rather close for the majority of the last few years they'd known one another. But most of that was Hatsuharu's admiration for her after saving Yuki from the ugliness of depression. The rest was just genuine affection from becoming practical relations though still only friends.

But normally she would have gone to Hana or Uo. Or even Momiji first. So why did she come to Haru? Did he mean more to her than she realised? Did she know somewhere in her mind that Haru would protect her where Kyo and Yuki and Shigure didn't? Perhaps.

But that didn't explain why she was so comfortable and at ease in his arms. He was a man, and she'd experienced what men can do if they wanted to. What they can take from their female counterparts. Akito had taken everything, and she couldn't even look at another man or even listen to Hatori who'd attempted to console her afterwards when she was desperate to leave.

The first person on her mind to go to was Hana, but she couldn't take the subway looking like she did. Her second option was Uo, but for some reason her feet had taken her to the home of her attacker, and then around it and to someone who came to mind when she had cried out for help. When Yuki and Kyo turned their backs and left, shame and guilt in their eyes. When Shigure had moved to help her but Hatori had grabbed his sleeve and stopped him. And in her mind, she only called for him.

_Hatsuharu, keep me safe. Help me, save me from this._

After blinking the tears from her eyes, Tohru looked down to see that Hiro too had moved to rest his head in her lap beside Kisa. She smiled warmly at them, but she couldn't help the dirty feeling in her throat. The sudden sinking in her stomach as she watched the children sleep.

What if…what if _she _ended up pregnant?

All her life, her mother had raised her saying that abortion was wrong unless it couldn't be helped, and eventually Tohru had begun to believe her. So, if she was pregnant, she couldn't give it up could she? No - she couldn't. There was no way. She'd be bound to the Sohma family forever, and the prospect of having a cursed child brought trembles to her skin.

What would everyone think of her then?

_~`;'~_

_You Don't Turn Me Off, I Will Never Fail, _

_Things I Loved Before Are Not For Sale, _

_Keep Yourself Away, Far Away From Me_

_I Forever Stay Your Perfect Enemy_

_~`;'~_

"Haru, wake up." Tohru murmured. The Ox groaned and went to roll over only to find the weight on his chest was still there. Blinking an eye open, he took in the picture of Tohru's soft features smiling at him. Hiro and Kisa were sitting at the foot of the bed, yawning. It seemed that the four of them were now caught in what seemed to be some sort of support circle, but in all honesty Haru didn't mind.

As long as they were all safe.

Considering what happened to Tohru, who knew how Akito would act if he found the four of them cuddled together afterwards. Haru shuddered at the thought of Tohru and Kisa being punished for no real reason at all aside from the leader's uncontrollable sadistic wrath.

"Tohru?" he murmured, still half asleep. She nodded, smiling and leaning into him again, his hand rubbing her shoulders as he moved, his body numb from sleep. "Ngh, what time is it?" he asked, ignoring Hiro's snort at the unintelligible sound that he made.

"Nearly four in the afternoon." she said softly, rubbing the heel of her palm against her eyes. Haru grunted, pulling himself to his feet and nearly stumbling over in the process. Kisa watched him, biting her lip as he ruffled Tohru's hair gently and turned around.

"I'm gonna get something to eat, you guys coming?" he asked. Hiro nodded, taking Kisa's hand and pulling them both off the bed. Tohru looked hesitant, probably not ready to face anyone else who could possibly be around at the time, but eventually relented and allowed Hatsuharu to guide her with a heavy arm over her shoulders toward the kitchen.

When they made it there, Tohru made an indignant noise and attempted to push back, only to have her back connect with Haru's solid torso behind her. Haru called her name gently, and she relaxed slowly. Hiro and Kisa had caught sight of what had disturbed her so. Yuki, still in school uniform, was asleep at the kitchen table, a mug of tea gone cold was gripped in his hand, head resting on his forearm. Instantly, Haru's eyes looked around in case he caught sight of Kyo - finding no such Cat.

"Hiro, kick him or something." Haru said quietly, wrapping both arms around Tohru to keep her steady and give her comfort. Hiro, without delay, did just that. Approaching the table, his foot connected hard with one of the chair legs and collapsed the piece of furniture beneath the Prince's weight - resulting in Yuki waking with a start on the cold hard kitchen floor.

He appeared dazed for a moment, before he caught sight of Hiro leering over him. "Brat, what did you do that for?" he asked, voice raw from crying and sleep. Tohru immediately vaulted back against Haru's chest at the sound of Yuki's voice, the Rat catching the movement. He went to take a step toward her but Kisa stood in the way, frowning softly, Hiro's hand catching her sleeve.

"Yuki, what are you doing here?" Haru deadpanned, Yuki flinching at the monotone of his voice. His lavender eyes never left Tohru once. He hadn't seen Haru at school so he'd figured Tohru had gone to him. He was right.

"I'm here to find her. We both are." Yuki said softly, pleadingly. Tohru trembled, staring at him in confusion.

"Who is?" Haru replied, rubbing a hand along Tohru's upper arm to calm her shaking.

"Yuki? What's going on." a gruff voice resounded behind Haru, the crimson-eyed cat peering over the Ox's shoulder and staring directly into the startled eyes of Tohru. "Gah! Tohru?!" he cried out, falling back against the wall.

Silence surrounded them all, unrelenting and unsympathetic. Tohru could only think of one thing to describe the two - enemies.

* * *

_TBC - R&R_

_

* * *

_

_**A/N:** As I said at the top, I am so sorry that it took me so long to get this next chapter out. I'm sick though so I might be able to get all my stories up for Furuba today. I've been semi-grounded for the last few weeks and kinda distracted with personal (*cough*_boys_*cough*) problems *grins*. Trust me though, this story finally has a steady plot and I know how it's going to end and everything, so hopefully if I keep up my writing streak I might be able to get this finished before the year's out. Wish me luck and thankyou all my patient readers - so sorry for the slackness over the past few months ^^_

_~MK_


	3. Heaven's Net 天国のネット

**So Torn**

**+MyurraKitty+**

_~`;'~_

**Please Note:** This will have mentions of Rape/Abuse and Violence. Will contain _slash_/coarse language and themes**  
Rating:** T**  
Disclaimer:** I do not own Fruits Basket. It is merely a fan fiction story and I am earning nothing from it except encouragement and experience.**  
A/N:** Awe, you people are so wonderful I decided to try and make it up to you some more with another chapter of ST. I'm loving the reviews I'm getting, you all made my day today so I couldn't help myself ^^._  
My anonymous reviewer Madz_ - thankyou for your lovely encouragement, loyal fans are wonderful things to have

I will answer all of your reviews as soon as allows me to - it's PMSing I think because it says there's an error whenever I try and answer them T^T.  
Anywho - enjoy ^^

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**Chapter 3**

**Heaven's Net**

"Cat, don't be so loud." Hiro snapped, letting Kisa's sleeve go and sliding past Haru who moved out of the way, turning Tohru toward himself and away from her old housemates. Tohru sobbed suddenly, burying her face into Haru's chest. The Ox twitched as Yuki went to take a step closer out of instinct, but the Rat caught Kisa's look again and stayed where he was.

"Don't talk to me like that, brat!" Kyo snapped back, swatting Hiro's hand away unsuccessfully. The Ram grabbed Kyo's school tie he'd been forced to wear that day, tugging him foreword into the kitchen harshly. Kisa moved out of the way as Kyo crashed to his knees after Hiro shoved him.

"I told you not to be so goddamned loud. But I guess an idiot like you just can't comprehend when to listen to people who are _right_." Hiro said testily. Kisa offered a hand, Kyo reluctantly taking the help from the younger girl and standing back on his feet again, dusting his clothes off shakily.

It was then, now that Kyo was in direct light, that they could see the drawn exhausted look on his face. His angered expression still held a blurred sense of defeat behind it, dark yellow-toned rings around his eyes and a bandaid on his forehead just above his brow, directly between his eyes. Yuki's knuckles were bandaged on both hands, his eyes were bloodshot and swollen from tears. Neither Sohma appeared anything near what they were expecting, the feisty Cat and the Prince were both about as well-off as the rest of them.

That was a lie, if you couldn't tell.

They made it that way themselves. It had nothing to do with Haru, it was their problem and not his. Tohru pushed away from him, not facing anyone as she approached the sink, ignoring Hiro tugging at the knee-length shirt Haru had loaned to her.

"Honda--" Hiro started, but Tohru ignored him. She was too pale, she was going to be sick. Without warning, Tohru lurched foreword, hands on the bench as her head dipped into the empty sink, her stomach retching and emptying anything that was still in it. Haru kept his distance for a moment, Tohru's shoulders shaking as she started to cry again.

"Haru…" she cried out quietly, the Ox moving to stand behind her. Rubbing his hand along her back, he watched as the girl threw up again, his nose crinkling at the putrid smell of vomit. He could taste salt in his dry mouth as though he too was going to be ill. He swallowed harshly; Tohru needed him.

"It's alright, calm down. Nothing's going to happen to you." he whispered, rubbing the pads of his fingers into her shoulders. She sniffled, spitting once more at the foul taste in her mouth as she cried silently, nodding. Haru reached over, turning the tap on and helping her splash it on her flushed face.

"Is she alright?" Hiro asked, bored. Haru turned to look at him, their eyes meeting in a silent exchange. Hiro may not seem it, but he _was_ worried. Haru nodded silently, hands moving across her back in soothing patterns on their own accord.

"She'll be fine." he said. Kisa, who until then had been silent, started to cry suddenly. To Haru's surprise it was Kyo who knelt down beside her and wrapped his arms around her. Hiro sent Kyo a withering glare but let it slide as Kisa gripped the Cat's shirt.

Kyo had never been good with people who were crying.

Tohru listened to Kyo attempting to calm Kisa's crying with hushes and carefully chosen words. In turn, she too managed to wash her face completely as well as the basin before turning the water off.

Kisa let go of Kyo's shirt and the Cat pulled away, standing and resting a hand on her shoulder gently. "Go to Hiro." he said quietly. She did so, wrapping herself around the boy's arm as he continued to glare at Kyo. Once again, the air was tense around them. Haru handed Tohru a clean dishcloth to dry her face before turning to his older cousins and snarling.

"Alright, enough of this. Tell us why you're here." Haru snapped. He felt Tohru flinch behind him, and silently berated himself for his tone. Yuki looked over to Haru with sad violet eyes, helplessly raising his hands in exasperation.

"I already told you, we came to find Tohru…" Yuki said softly, said girl jolting around and glaring at him. Yuki shrank back, Kyo moving to stand beside him. Haru's eyes went to the Cat, looking for another explanation.

"It's true." was all he could say, but he never met Haru's eyes. The Ox narrowed his vision, in his mind it was just the Cat. If he was to get any truth, it would be from him. He could practically smell the guilt from where he was standing.

"I don't believe you." Haru sneered.

"You don't have to, only she does." Kyo retorted.

"Enough!" Tohru screamed, closing her eyes and covering her ears. "Stop talking about me like I'm not here! I can still speak for myself!" she shouted. Angry tears ran down her face again, her hands moving to wrap around her stomach as she refused to meet either Kyo's or Yuki's gaze.

"Tohru, please, talk to us then." Yuki pleaded, bottom lip trembling.

"I don't want to!" she shouted, shaking her head. "Not until you tell me why!"

"We _cant_, Tohru!" Kyo stressed. "You wouldn't understand, there are some things that are too com-" Kyo's words left his mouth abruptly as his head whipped to the side from impact. Tohru stood before him, eyes blazing with unforgiving anger and betrayal. Her hand was still poised in the air, her body angled - she'd used all her emotion and force in that slap, and it was obvious she'd hurt him more than emotionally.

"I was raped, Kyo! And my best friends in the world who could have stopped it," she paused, waiting until Kyo's eyes met hers. "_did **nothing**_." she hissed, body trembling with exertion. Kyo's tongue touched his lip where it had split, his cheek burned and stang. The slap had sounded like a punch, Tohru's arm swinging from behind in an upwards motion - making sure she didn't miss.

"I'm sorry."

"Don't even think about using that word around me right now! How can I forgive either of you? You walked away Kyo! You've hurt me, both of you have. I don't even want to hear the excuse!"

"Tohru, it wasn't like that…" Yuki started, still shocked that Tohru had struck Kyo, and managed to hurt him no less.

"You walked away! What more is there?!" she shouted, fists clenched. Haru watched, unsure as to wether or not he should step in. Tohru was upset and angry, but she was also injured and she shouldn't be yelling in case she drew even more unnecessary attention to the kitchen. He was already aware of some servants kneeling beneath the window outside to listen. He was directionally challenged - not a total idiot. Unlike everyone else in the room, he knew they were being overheard.

"We couldn't watch what was happening, Tohru! We just _couldn't_!" Yuki tried.

"Then why didn't you try and stop it?" she said quietly. Kyo's knuckled cracked and Yuki stared at him in fright.

"Because it was our fucking fault in the first place!!!" Kyo shouted suddenly, Tohru jumping back. Haru sent a nasty glare in Kyo's direction, clenching his fists at his side.

"Your _what_."

_~`;'~_

_On a mountain he sits, not of gold but of sin_

_Through the blood he can look, see the life that he took_

_From the council of one_

_He'll decide what he's done with the innocent_

_~`;'~_

Tohru's knees trembled and her mind went blank for a moment before going black. Haru managed to catch her just in time before she hit the ground, flinching as he once again expected to transform. Fortunately for him that never happened. Tohru was surprisingly light, lifting her was easy.

He thought about taking her to Hatori, but then he remembered he'd been there too. He'd hurt her when he didn't stop it from happening. Besides, she'd be alright. It was only shock, she'll wake up again in a few minutes. He'd better take her to his room though.

Glaring at his older cousins, he spoke, "Don't even think about leaving this room." he hissed. With little effort, he carried Tohru out of the kitchen and back down the hall, aware of Hiro and Kisa following behind him as well as two sets of regretful eyes watching him.

Kyo and Yuki sat at the table beside one another, but despite Yuki's stare boring into Kyo the Cat never looked back at him. "I'm sorry." he murmured, looking down. Yuki ignored the apology, continuing to stare at his cousin while he played with the bandaid on his forehead.

Haru pushed the sliding door open with his foot, mindful of Tohru's head resting against his shoulder and her legs bent over his arm he carefully slid into the room and placed her on the bed as cautiously as he could. Kisa and Hiro trailed after him, Kisa sitting on the foot of the bed and watching Tohru sadly while Hiro stared at Haru. The Ox covered his mouth with his hand, the tension in his chest felt like it was going to explode.

"It's alright." Hiro told him. For some reason, the words as comforting as they were only made the clogged pain in his ribcage worse. Sitting on the ground at the foot of the bed, back pressed against the matrass, Haru sat with his knees to his chest. Hiro stood there watching him blankly as tears slowly gathered and spilled over his cheeks, the Ox wiping them away furiously. How was he supposed to help Tohru cope if he couldn't even handle it from where he was?!

He felt Kisa rest her head on top of his, the girl's arms around his neck loosely. Once again, the affection only made it worse and he covered his mouth to muffle the sob, shaking with the effort as more silent tears cascaded down his cheeks. They were hot…too hot. They burnt his skin. But he couldn't stop them.

"Haru, it's alright." Hiro said again, before leaving the room. After a quick trip to the bathroom, Hiro came back with a cold, damp washcloth. Kneeling beside Tohru on the bed, Hiro pressed it to her fevered skin softly while Kisa continued to try and comfort Haru.

"You can cry. Crying means you're sad right? And even though being sad isn't a good thing, big sis would rather you be sad than angry. She has been hurt, and now you're crying for her. That's a good thing, it means you care for her right?" Kisa said softly, nuzzling against her older cousin's white hair. Haru's tears slowed, and he wiped them angrily again.

"Yeah, but I'm not supposed to be cryin'." he said half-heartedly.

"Since when has it ever been wrong to cry." Hiro said suddenly, refolding the washcloth so it was reversed. The water had warmed on the first side now. He continued to dab at Tohru's face and neck. "I cried when Kisa was sleeping because of what Akito did to her. I cried when I couldn't help her all those times when she was being bullied. I cried when Honda was the one to help her and not me." Hiro said gently.

"Haru, just because you got big doesn't mean you haven't got a heart anymore." Kisa murmured. Haru smiled, laughing. "Not all grown ups lose their hearts. Big sis's mommy loved her very much, and she was grown up."

"You know kid, I think that maybe you two are right." Haru said, smiling as he wiped the dry sticky feeling from his cheeks. Grabbing Kisa's wrists, he unhooked her arms from around his neck. "Why don't you and Hiro go find Momiji and play with him for the rest of the afternoon. I think you two don't need to be here for the rest of this, I have a feeling it may get messy. And besides, Tohru is mine to take care of, I don't want you two doing this when you don't have to."

Hiro smiled, throwing the washcloth at Haru. "Ya know, if you wanted time alone with her all you had to do was ask. No need for shitty speeches about responsibility, gee." he snorted. Haru blinked at the Ram a couple of times before smiling and nodding in his younger cousin's direction. He was beginning to understand Hiro just that little bit more.

"Go on, Kisa." Haru said softly. "I'll see you two tomorrow?"

Hiro held his hand out for the girl, smiling cockily over at Haru as she grabbed his arm again like she had in the kitchen, wrapping her arms around it and not letting go. "Watch it, I'll cry 'child labour' if you start making assumptions like that." Haru snorted.

"Fine, Kisa will come wont you?" he asked. The honey-eyed girl nodded furiously.

"I'll come." she said.

"Me too." Hiro quickly added. Haru chuckled as the redfaced cousins left the room, promising to come again the next day. He kind of hoped they didn't bring Momiji, Haru was going through a kind of temperance with the energiser bunny. And his hyper attitude was something Tohru could do without for the next few days at least.

When Tohru started going outside again, then Momiji would be needed. That boy always had high spirits, and it would, in the end, prove to be just what Tohru needed to return back to her old unsheltered self again.

"Nnn…Haru…" Tohru murmured. Haru startled, turning to face the sleeping girl. He couldn't leave for long, but he would have to otherwise Kyo and Yuki would get curious and leave the kitchen. He just hoped Tohru wouldn't wake until he got back. Grabbing the washcloth Hiro chucked at him, he folded it into a narrow rectangle, pushing her fringe back gently and placing it over her brow.

"Please be alright Tohru." he murmured, the girl before him turning toward him slightly in her sleep. Smiling to himself, he touched her cheek briefly before turning and leaving the room, watching her through the narrowing gap as he slid the door closed again.

Resting his brow against the wood he breathed heavily, hearing a muffled cough from the kitchen down the hall he sighed and pushed back from the door. Entering the kitchen, he watched as Kyo and Yuki looked up at him silently.

_~`;'~_

_He's a stranger to some_

_And a vision to none_

_He can never get enough,_

_Get enough of the one_

_~`;'~_

"Why." Haru stated. There was no tone or emotion behind the word, and it left Kyo and Yuki reeling to find an explanation as to why. The gears were working in their heads, and Haru waited patiently for them to answer him.

"Why what?" Kyo snapped out of reflex. He ignored Yuki's wince beside him and frowned at himself.

"Why is it your fault." it wasn't a question, it was a statement that they knew they would have to answer wether they wanted to or not. Haru would turn Black and beat it out of them if they took too long, wether or not Tohru approved.

"Fine, but tell me one thing first." Kyo growled, clenching his fists on the table top. "Why did she come to you. You better not have touched her, you -" Yuki's hand slapped over Kyo's mouth, stopping the words as they came. Haru's expression hadn't changed as he still waited patiently for the answer.

Yuki sighed, looking down. "Akito was trying to get back at us. Hatori told us that if we tried to do anything, Akito would do much worse than what he did. Shigure would have none of it and when Shigure went to help Tohru, Hatori got angry and hit him. Akito…he…" Yuki stopped, pulling his hand away from Kyo's mouth to cover his eyes.

"Haru, we never would have let that bastard touch Tohru if it weren't for knowing he would do worse if we did. If we helped Tohru, he would have gone after Kisa or Momiji next. Because he knows that we couldn't do anything to stop him. It was calculated, Haru. If it wasn't a direct attack at Tohru it would have been done through hurting a Sohma she loves. And by hurting Tohru, he knew he was hurting the rest of us."

Haru was silent for a moment, expression still blank. "That's a pathetic excuse." Haru said, "You're both just a couple of pathetic excuses. You could have stopped it." he snapped, glaring at both of them. Kyo looked down at the ground while Yuki pulled at the bandages around his knuckles.

"Kyo wanted to kill himself." Yuki said suddenly. Haru blinked, looking over at Kyo with startled wide eyes. "Do you know who Akito is to him?" Yuki said, eyes narrowed.

"Yuki, shut up!" Kyo shouted, though he appeared more frightened than anything.

"You'll never understand the pain Kyo went through having to watch that and knowing he could do nothing. Not even I would understand, and I hate myself more because I know I _could_ have done something. That I _should_ have done something. You can't accuse Kyo, I'm more at fault than he ever would be."

"Yuki!" Kyo cried out again, grabbing Yuki's wrist and turning it so that the bloodied bandages over his knuckles were displayed clearly in the light. "Look what you did to yourself! You're suffering just as much as I am!"

"No, I'm not. Not for the same reasons, anyway. Haru, if anyone deserves to be punished for this, if not me, then let it be Akito. Spare Kyo and myself your hatred and take it out on him." Yuki said quietly, eyes never leaving Haru's.

Hatsuharu's jaw was set, teeth gritting in bitterness. "It's not for me to decide. You never answered my question, Yuki. So I'm not going to forgive either of you, ever. Not until she does." he said finally, pushing off the sink and turning toward the exit. "Next time, think of the other consequences." he muttered, not looking back.

_~`;'~_

_For a fortune he'd quit_

_But it's hard to admit_

_How it ends and begins_

_On his face is a map of the world_

_~`;'~_

Slipping back into the room quietly, he managed to slide the door shut behind himself just in time. He felt his feet go from underneath him as he fell back against the door, the cool timber touching his lower back as he slid down to the floor. Covering his face with his hands and curling back against the door, he couldn't stop the sob that escaped his lips once again.

What was wrong with him?

All he could feel was pain in his chest, sickness in his stomach and his limbs refused to move no matter how much his mind screamed at them to do so. He refused to cry, but his tears didn't obey him, rolling over his cheeks with a mind and will of their own. His bones felt as though they were shattering under an extreme force. To Haru, it felt like he was falling to pieces, yet amazingly so his body still remained in tact.

He wasn't sure when, but two arms encircled his waist and a head buried against his neck. Tohru had woken up slowly, her sleep had been blank and dull. Only to find Haru crying by the door. And without thinking, without even fearing touching his body, she moved to help him.

Soon enough, the tears stopped and Haru was returning the embrace.

"I'm so sorry, you don't need to see any of this." he murmured against her hair.

"… I care about you too, you know." she said softly, "if I hurt, you hurt. Which means, if I make it better, we can both be happy again." she said, smiling gently. Haru couldn't help but smile at her. She really was the most selfless person he'd ever met.

"That's my Tohru." he said, rubbing the pad of his thumb over her cheek. She giggled, the incident from earlier that evening with Kyo and Yuki long forgotten.

Suddenly, as though she was only just hit by the revelation, she turned to face the window. "Oh my god, it's so late!" she cried out. Haru chuckled, watching as she flushed in embarrassment from her own outburst. "I…I guess that, well since we've already slept…"

"I'm not tired." he said, knowing that was what she was getting at. She smiled.

"So…what are we going to do then?"

"Hmm…" he paused, thinking. They both needed something to take their minds off what had been happening. "I have a T.V. we can watch a movie if you want." he offered. She nodded, but still looked a slight bit sceptical.

"Well, what if we fall asleep?"

"Then we fall asleep. Kisa and Hiro are coming back over tomorrow so I'm gonna need all the energy I can get to deal with Hiro." Tohru giggled, nodding. She felt a little bad for leaving Hatsuharu stuck with Hiro all the time, seeing as Kisa was attached to her mostly. But she knew the Ram and the Ox would eventually get along.

"He can be a handful, but he means well." she said, reprimanding him in her own way. He smiled as she shoved his shoulder gently afterwards.

"I know."

* * *

**TBC - R&R**

* * *

**A/N:** *wipes forehead* damn, it's hot here in Aus… or it could be my fever. Oh well. Anyway, this is the 'thankyou-for-sticking-with-me-and-being-so-kind' chapter that I would have felt bad about if I didn't post it. Anyway, I have a yearly advanced mathematics test I had better study for, seeing as I missed it two days ago because of a stupid flu. Anyway, please review!

_What's going on next chapter: Akito makes a show. Hatori has another breakdown. Momiji is more deceptive than he looks. Shigure gets in touch. And everyone is wondering why Yuki and Kyo arguing so loudly at three in the morning while still at the Main house._


	4. Wishing Well 願い事の井戸

**So Torn  
ように引き裂かれた**

A Woman Can Forgive A Man For The Harm He Does To Her...But She Can Never Forgive Him For The Sacrifices He Makes On Her Account_  
女性は彼は彼女には害のために男性を許すことができます...しかし、彼女は彼が彼女のアカウントになります犠牲に彼を許すことはできない  
_The Stupid Neither Forgive Or Forget; The Naive Are All Too Happy To Forgive And Forget; And The Wise Will Forgive But Never Forget_  
どちらも許しても忘れて愚かな、素朴なすべてのもを許すことを忘れてしまう満足している、そして賢明な赦されるが、決して忘れて__  
_While Your Anger Strives To Make You Smaller, Your Forgiveness Forces You To Become Bigger Than You Once Were_  
ながら、あなたの怒りを小さくするために努力し、あなたの許しがあなたより一度て大きくなるために力を_

**_MyurraKitty  
_**_私の場合ソラ子猫_

_~`;'~_

**Please Note:** This will have mentions of Rape/Abuse and Violence. Will contain _slash_/coarse language and themes

**Rating:** T

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Fruits Basket. It is merely a fan fiction story and I am earning nothing from it except encouragement and experience.

**A/N:** Once again, this chapter was late. I am sorry, I'm trying to get this story finished as quickly as possible, but there are so many chapters! T^T

Also, someone asked; the extra words that break the story into parts are actually varied between songs and poetry. It would be too hard to find the names of the songs so I apologise, however the ones in this chapter are taken from the album ' Live ; Secret Samadhi'

_[And on another note, I just wish for all my furuba readers to know that the AN down the bottom for all my stories is also an update on the stories coming out soon for that particular category. I know some people took me off their alert list because i wrote stories for fandoms they werent interested in, so thats why i developed that little habit.]_

* * *

**Chapter 4  
第4章**_  
Wishing Well  
願い事の井戸_

Hatsuharu blinked as the morning light poured into the room as he pulled the curtain away from his window. Raising his hand to the light, he watched as it spread between his fingers and heated his palm. Dropping his hand to his side, he stared out into the yard. He watched as Hatori dragged Kyo by his elbow toward the front gate, Yuki following and attempting to placate Hatori into letting the Cat go.

Hatsuharu sighed, rubbing at his brow with the pads of his fingers as he watched them. Tohru sat on the bed, watching the Ox blankly as he traced lines on the glass of the window absently with his other hand.

"I thought they were gone." she said quietly. Haru didn't look at her, but replied nonetheless.

"Obviously not. It was a bit of an abrupt wake-up call was it not." Haru said, defeated. Tohru rolled her lips together, hugging herself tightly. They had eventually fallen asleep after the second movie, but had been awoken again around three in the morning to Kyo's voice. He and Yuki were in Hatori's office near the kitchen and were arguing about something Hatori had told them.

Haru had told Tohru to stay where she was, seeing as only the sound of their voices were carrying through the walls without words. After creeping down the hall and standing outside Hatori's door, Haru listened in .Apparently, they were all requested to the banquet in two days time - even Tohru. And if they didn't go, Tohru was going to get hurt again. Akito had Yuki and Kyo right where he wanted them. But then Haru had heard something not even he was supposed to hear.

"_We can't keep doing this, Rat!" Kyo yelled, something crashing as he no doubt knocked it over in anger. Haru flinched, listening intently. "He found out, and now there's no use. He doesn't want anyone in this damn family happy!"_

"_You don't think I didn't know that when all of this started?! You stupid Cat, I warned you!" Yuki spat, someone knocking something else over. Haru doubted it was Kyo this time. "I told you several times, I asked you what we would do if someone found out! You said we'd figure it out when the time came!"_

"_Oh, so now it's my fault?!"_

"_I didn't say that! You are so stupid! It's my fault for not stopping it!"_

"_You started it! You were the one taunting me all the time and hanging off that fucking asshole after track every day! What was I supposed to think whenever you'd look at me and smirk like you knew?!"_

"_I did know! I knew and I wanted it, but when you pushed it too far in that fight I was pissed! I didn't know what to do!"_

"_Next time, instead of flaunting your goddamned body, why don't you just tell me? I made it obvious enough that even Tohru guessed!" Kyo growled in frustration. Haru flinched as the girl was brought into the conversation, but continued to listen while biting his tongue._

"_Kyo…" Yuki said quietly, Haru having no idea what was happening. "… what I'm trying to say is that, what's done is done. We can't undo it, so we may as well follow through with it. Or was all of this for nothing?"_

"…_how can you say that? You know, I'm really not sure who you are anymore. Tohru was raped because of us. You know if I got too close that bastard would have pulled my bracelet off like he did last time, and I could have hurt you, or Tohru or anyone. You freeze up whenever he touches you. Hatori struck Shigure for trying to stop it. I don't expect Tohru to forgive me, in fact I'd prefer it if she didn't because I don't deserve it. So don't you dare talk about what happened to her like some fucking inevitable step in life." _

"… _Well what about what Akito did to you? Huh? That bastard should never have touched you, Kyo. You…you're all I have left. We cant quit now, I wont know what to do. I lo-"_

"_Stop it. Just…don't, Yuki. We have to stop this, we can't keep putting innocent people in danger like this. You should have just let me go through with it, I would have saved everyone all the trouble." _

"_Do you know what you would have done if you killed yourself?!" Yuki sounded close to tears now, and Haru flinched at the tone of his voice. "You think I wouldn't have done the same? Your brother would have won, do you want that?!" _

"…_you're heartless, Yuki." _

"…_Fine. If I'm so heartless, why do you love me?" _

"_I don't."_

"_Then it's settled. I don't love you either." it sounded as though Yuki's voice was breaking now, and the fight had finally died down. Only now, Haru was positively speechless. Was that why Akito was trying to get back at them? It was either leave one another and save everyone, or stay together and have everyone around them hurting._

"…_I'm sleeping on the roof, you can have the couch." Kyo said suddenly, making for the door. Haru stood, the door opening in his face. "…Haru?!" he exclaimed in shock. He moved his hands to grab Haru's collar in defensiveness, before dropping them to his sides again. "…h-how much did you hear?"_

"_Nothing, I just got here to see what the yelling was about." he lied. Kyo's eyes flashed with relief, and Haru knew that whatever he'd just heard couldn't be repeated. _

"_Oh, alright. Um… Haru, there's a banquet in a few days, and everyone has to go. That…that means Tohru too. Could you just…make sure she doesn't get hurt?" Kyo said quietly. Haru blinked silently, but nodded. Kyo smiled sadly in relief, punching Haru on the shoulder gently. "Thanks man."_

"_No problem." Haru said gruffly. Kyo moved past him, and Haru got a single glimpse at a teary-eyed Yuki before turning and heading back to his own room. I wont get involved, he told himself. But no matter how much he thought so, he couldn't help but feel the need to go back to comfort the Rat, or talk with the Cat. _

_Then Tohru crossed his mind, and he met his resolve. Opening the door, Tohru was still obediently sitting on the foot of his bed, staring at him with wide curious eyes. She didn't appear to be hurting inside, but Haru knew too well that she was. He sighed and sad down beside her, rubbing a hand through his hair. _

"_It was just one of their regular spats." he said quietly, Tohru not quite believing him but nodding nonetheless. _

"_Okay."_

_~`;'~_

_In the early morning, cut her down_

_This pill, she needs your love, _

_Forget your mother and your father, _

_They aren't important son_

_~`;'~_

"Do you think that they'll be alright without me there?" Tohru mused, her attention still on Haru. The Ox tensed, but nodded.

"You aren't going back there until you have no choice or unless you wholeheartedly want to." Haru said quietly. Tohru heard the order in that voice, and smiled gently. At least, here, Hatsuharu would keep her safe. He wouldn't step aside and let her hurt.

Her mind went back to Kyo and Yuki. She wouldn't hate them forever, but she wouldn't trust them for a very long time. She was very forgiving, but her mother had always told her not to let people walk over her. Her anger was something she'd never truly felt before, and it was directed towards the two of them. Not because she didn't like them, but because she loved them. It hurt all the more.

"Haru-san, do you think I can make some breakfast now?"

"Don't call me that, I'm your friend Tohru." he said quietly, turning to her finally. Half of his face was lit by the warm sun through the window, his warm smile making Tohru's chest tense. "And I think I _could_ use some cooking lessons. I'm almost as bad as Yuki, smoke alarms go off as soon as I open the _freezer_."

Tohru giggled, hand covering her mouth as though she was laughing at something she shouldn't be. Humming a sigh, she stood slowly and stretched her arms over her head. "Kisa and Hiro should be here soon."

"It's only six, they wont show up for another hour or so." Haru said quietly, aware that it had been almost three hours since Kyo and Yuki's argument. Haru had figured that Hatori had given them both a thorough talking to, and were now being dragged off the Sohma main grounds.

"Well then, lets get started! What do you feel like making?" she asked. Haru paled, spluttering before answering clearly.

"I think it would be safest just to stick with eggs and toast." he said honestly.

After several minutes of scouring the kitchen for everything they needed, Tohru stood beside Haru, her hands over his as she guided them to cracking an egg against the pan gently. She knew of his strength, and she didn't want something as trivial as cracking eggs to end up with a new crater in the marble counter top. He flushed at the contact, and his nervous glances toward her often ended up in both catching one another's eyes in a short-lived stare.

Finally, four eggs were cracked with only one casualty that ended up over Haru's fingers. Tohru hurriedly made some toast, and the moment Haru took the pan from the cook top, the toaster chimed and the girl quickly buttered them. Sitting down, Haru flicked the edge of one of his eggs up and stared at it sceptically.

"Well, it looks safe." he said. Tohru smiled at him from across the table.

"So, how come you don't like cooking?" she asked suddenly. Haru blushed, staring down at his hands.

"Well, I can never find anything in the kitchen. And then, say I have something in the microwave, I'll forget where that is and something bad will no doubt happen. I'm just hopeless, it's a wonder I even remember what country I live in." he said tiredly.

Tohru chuckled, but remained concerned for the Ox. "In time, maybe I will be able to teach you to cook bigger meals. All it takes is familiarity, you'll gain it one way or another." she said, eyes glinting. He cocked his eyebrows, staring across at her with interest. The piece of egg on his fork dropped from where it had been poised in front of his open mouth.

"Oh, so you have a way to help me remember?" he asked. She looked to the side, a smile twitching at her mouth.

"Perhaps." she murmured. Haru nodded, bottom lip twitching with the will to grin. The rest of their breakfast was eaten in silence apart from Tohru gasping when Haru's foot brushed her ankle accidentally, and Haru apologising sincerely.

_~`;'~_

_People should not be afraid,_

_The ink brush draws in figure eights,_

_But will it stand the test of time, or will it rot,_

_Like the mission that tried too hard._

_~`;'~_

Haru sighed, feeling like a weathered penny with the silver side up. He couldn't explain why, but he had a sudden sense of dread and tiredness flush through his body. Tohru noticed his sudden exhaustion, glancing curiously over the top of the novel she had borrowed from Haru's bedside.

She was laying across his bed, back slouched against the bed head with one of Haru's pillows supporting her shoulders against the cold hardness. Haru was sitting on the floor, back against the side of the bed. He stared out the window, watching a bee move from one cherry blossom to another. His thoughts were on the banquet in a few nights time, and how he was going to have Tohru ready for it. He'd have to call the only person in he trusted with it.

"Tohru, I have to make a phonecall. I'll be right back, alright?" he said, turning to look at her as he stood. She nodded, glancing at the clock. As Haru went to open his door, a knock came from the other side. Frowning, he pulled it open quickly, the Sohmas on the other side gasping and flinching back in fear.

"H-haru?" the honey eyed girl blinked toward him. Haru sighed deeply, stepping aside for the two children. Tohru brightened, welcoming them both on the bed beside her. Haru watched as both Hiro and Kisa gave Tohru an embrace, however short lasting Hiro's was.

Sliding his door closed, Haru made his way to the kitchen. Picking up the phone, he quickly dialled the operator number.

"_Operator_."

"I need to speak to Hanajima Saki." he said quietly. The woman was gone for a few moments, before coming back.

"_I'm sorry, Hanajima Saki is not available_." she replied. Haru sighed, feeling a bit put out.

"Oh, thanks." He hit the call-end button before he'd even finished the sentence. He'd just set down the phone when a whispered 'psst' sounded from the window. Haru frowned, turning to glance through the glass. He heard the sound again, and moved foreword, pausing when he couldn't see anyone.

"Haru, down here." the addressed boy's eyes widened in wonder and curiosity as he flung the window open, hands on the sill as he leant over and stared down into the large brown eyes of the Rabbit. He blinked, before frowning. What was Momiji doing there? He didn't have time to deal with this. He was about to pull away when the blonde grabbed his collar with surprising strength and almost pulled him out the window.

"Momiji, what the hell!" Haru tried to shout, but the blonde's hand was over his mouth.

"Haru, don't go to the banquet with Tohru." he said quietly. "I overheard Akito talking to Hatori - he plans on embarrassing Tohru, Yuki and Kyo there. You cant subject her to that." Momiji whispered.

"How did you hear this?" Haru whispered.

"One of Akito's maids let me in the house. I went to find Hatori but I overheard them." Haru frowned at Momiji's sudden following pause, but eventually the blonde spoke up again. "Haru, I…" the blonde bit his lip, looking away for a moment before meeting the Ox's grey gaze once again. "I know what happened, Haru. Keep her safe."

"Wait, how do you know?" Haru asked incredulously.

"Hatori was arguing with Kyo and Yuki over it earlier. I was in the other room because I was due for a checkup. No one even bothered when they realised I was there, they all figured I wouldn't understand. Hatori sent me away because he was angry and he had to see Akito. I was nervous so I went to see him anyway in Akito's house."

Haru stared at the boy in disbelief. Momiji could get away with anything. Without a moment's hesitation, Haru pulled Momiji closer to him. "Alright Momiji, I need to ask you to do something for me. Wait here." he breathed, pulling himself back through the window. Running back through the kitchen, Haru burst into the room. Ignoring Tohru's startled gasp and Hiro's sceptic stare, he ran over to his desk and took a notebook off his shelf, flicking objects off his desk with his forearm as he searched for a pencil. Growling with frustration, he reached his arm underneath the underside of his desk and felt around for something. Finding it, he removed it. He held a key with a piece of old gum stuck on the end of it.

Taking a pencil in his hand when he spotted one, he roughly scratched down a message for Yuki and Kyo, sticking the key to the paper and folding it in half twice. He ignored the looks the two children and Tohru were giving him as he ran back out of the room. Storming into the kitchen, he ducked his head out of the window to see Momiji peering through the leaves of the hedge he had been hiding behind.

"Here, take this to Kyo or Yuki. Don't give it to anyone else no matter how insistent they are, especially not Hatori or Shigure. Tell them the key is for all the doors in the main house, and the code is for the electronic gate. Promise me you wont read it." he whispered. Momiji nodded, not questioning his friend's motives. "And another thing - keep your ears open for me would you? If you hear anything that could be useful, tell me please."

"Well, there was something else. I heard Akito talking to Kagura, but that's all I know." Haru froze at the words. Akito wouldn't have told Kagura about Yuki and Kyo would he? That was a dangerous game he was playing.

"Thankyou." Haru murmured. He was about to pull his upper body back into the kitchen when Momiji grabbed his collar again.

"Haru wait…" he paused, "you don't think that… that Akito would do it again, do you?" Momiji murmured. Haru paused, icicles forming in the pit of his stomach. He'd never even considered it, that Akito would want to hurt Tohru again. His thoughts must have shown on his face, because Momiji's expression lost all hope. "I see. Nothing can be certain in this family, can it." he stated bitterly.

Haru almost couldn't wait for Tohru to be outside again, with Momiji bounding happily at one side while Kisa hung onto her arm on the other side. He and Hiro would be walking behind carefully, keeping an eye out but still relaxing. Yes, Tohru would be alright. He'd be sure of it.

"I have to go, before someone sees me hanging out the window-"

"Hatsuharu, what are you doing?" a cold voice sounded from behind him. Haru froze, sliding back into the room, skin pasty and a cold sweat forming on his brow.

"H-hatori…" he started. The man stared at him, eyes duller than the Ox had ever seen. "I was feeling a bit ill and I needed some air." he lied. Haru was once again grateful that his voice was almost always smooth and convincingly calm. The doctor nodded.

"You do look a bit unwell." he said quietly, hand raising to touch the younger Sohma's brow. Haru flinched back, Hatori stopping halfway. "I see…so news of my heartlessness travels fast I see."

"She told me everything."

"I doubt she told you everything. She doesn't even know everything." Hatori replied swiftly.

"She knows enough." Haru spat unintentionally, his older cousin flinching and taking a step back. Haru watched silently as Hatori raged an inner war with himself. He felt bad for Hatori going through what he had to, but it was his own fault for submitting himself to become Akito's lap-dragon.

"I need to see her. She needs a check up." he said quietly. Haru shook his head instantly.

"I've been taking care of her. She has not shown any signs of being injured or unwell."

"…that's good. But I still want to check for…other things." Hatori said gently. Haru narrowed his eyes. What other things could Hatori possibly mean? What else could have happened to her? "take me to her." Hatori said suddenly. Haru's eye twitched, an unsettling anger in the pit of his stomach.

"No. She will not see you, not now not ever." Haru growled. He could feel the feeling of grey tilting toward the darker scale, and the look in his eyes was caught by Hatori who took another step back. The Dragon pulled a chair out, seating himself down and propping his elbows on the table top. Fisting his hair, the Dragon's eyes welled with tears.

"…What have I done…" he breathed, Haru staring at the older Sohma without pity.

"Nothing you couldn't have stopped." he stated blankly. Hatori stared at him helplessly, but Haru ignored the look and moved out of the kitchen, blood pounding in his veins in fury. He hoped he had calmed down before he got to his room, but was proven wrong by the look Tohru gave him as he sat down.

Kisa and Hiro sat closely together as the brunette slid off the bed and beside Black Haru, hand stroking his forearm gently as he refused to look at anyone. She sighed gently, continuing to caress his arm and resting her head against his shoulder.

"I wont ask. But if you need to talk, I'm right here." she said gently. Haru shook himself mentally, how was he supposed to look after her if she was the one calming him down.

"It's not supposed to be like this. It isn't fair." he murmured quietly. Tohru sighed, watching the harshness of Black Haru's eyes fade to the softer ones she was more used to.

"Is anything really fair when you think about it?" Tohru whispered quietly. Haru chose not to answer, but relaxed against Tohru's soothing touches slowly, as though she was lulling his darker side to sleep. Some small part of him was worried, fretful even, but at the same time he was also relieved.

"What are we going to do about the banquet?" Haru asked, changing the subject. Though for some reason, it didn't seem to be that different. Tohru frowned, her fingers halting their movement for a small moment.

"I'll be ready. I'll be fine." she whispered. Haru stared at the girl disbelievingly, but nodded in understanding. She had to do this.

_~`;'~_

_Oh, life is a weeping cycle of song,_

_A medley of sin and lovers smitten,_

_And love is a thing that will always go wrong,_

_And I am the faded parchment on which this story is written._

_~`;'~_

Shigure trembled as the fingers traced his jaw. Forcing his mouth to remain clamped tightly shut, the Dog refused to meet the Zodiac God's eyes.

"You disobeyed me, Shigure." Akito hissed. The Dog couldn't help the way his top lip twitched to form a snarl. Akito smiled widely, kneeling before the older Sohma. "I thought I told you. That girl is a monster, and it was only fair that I punish her accordingly."

"She wasn't the reason." Shigure said quietly. Akito grinned, running a hand through Shigure's thick black hair.

"No you're right. It was because Yuki and Kyo are spending their time fucking behind closed doors. You know about the agreement I had with Kyo, right? If Yuki knows, he'll definitely let it beat him. He wouldn't want his play-thing locked away now, would he? Then again, I could have overreacted. Yuki is mine after all, he loves only me. No one could love that thing. My brother, such a terrible thing it was." Akito spoke, fingertips playing small patterns along the skin of Shigure's neck.

"Akito, for what you did there is no forgiveness. You've intimidated Yuki and Kyo, you knew that by attacking Tohru you'd get back at them."

"Hm, yes. But their inability to save that woman truly was disgusting was it not? You know as well as I that they could have stopped it. I guess they just didn't want to save her, ne Shigure." Akito smiled, Shigure's eyes flashing dangerously at the tone in the younger man's voice.

"There's more to this isn't there? What are you planning Akito. Breaking Kyo and Yuki up and attacking Tohru. The banquet. You know that Kyo and Yuki wont be anywhere near her during that banquet now, don't you. I guess you forgot that Hatsuharu will be with her, didn't you. You wont be able to hurt her then." Shigure whispered darkly. Akito chuckled.

"You underestimate me once again, Dog. I already know Hatsuharu won't leave her side. I won't need to hurt her if he does it for me." Akito mused, twisting a lock of hair around his finger.

"Hatsuharu wont hurt Tohru, you know that." Akito smiled narrowly, Shigure shivering under the look.

"Not willingly."

_~`;'~  
our love is like water,  
__pinned down and abused for being strange__.  
our love is no other,  
than me alone for me all day.  
__our love is like water; angels pinned down and abused  
~`;'~_

_引き裂かれた-第4章-願い事の井戸-エンドだから  
__**So Torn **- Chapter Four - Wishing Well - **End**  
引き裂かれた-第4章-願い事の井戸-エンドだから_

* * *

A/N_: _So here is the latest chapter, sorry it's late everyone! Anywho, I want to put another thanks out there to everyone who's reviewed this story so far *especially the first twenty for chapter one, sorry again guys* Anywho, my next Het story for Furuba should be out soon, it's called_ **' Grotesque Liaison Amoureuse'**_, which in English is _"Grotesque Love Affair"_. It's HaruHana (HatsuharuxHanajima) so wish me luch with that XDD

Some of my Yaoi stories coming out soon are KyoYuki, KyoHaru and KyoYukiHaru. Their names are too many to write down here, but either way there are a lot that i've started.

~MK


	5. Twelve Towers 物語は、十二の塔

**So Torn  
ように引き裂かれた**

A Woman Can Forgive A Man For The Harm He Does To Her...But She Can Never Forgive Him For The Sacrifices He Makes On Her Account_  
女性は彼は彼女には害のために男性を許すことができます...しかし、彼女は彼が彼女のアカウントになります犠牲に彼を許すことはできない  
_The Stupid Neither Forgive Or Forget; The Naive Are All Too Happy To Forgive And Forget; And The Wise Will Forgive But Never Forget_  
どちらも許しても忘れて愚かな、素朴なすべてのもを許すことを忘れてしまう満足している、そして賢明な赦されるが、決して忘れて__  
_While Your Anger Strives To Make You Smaller, Your Forgiveness Forces You To Become Bigger Than You Once Were_  
ながら、あなたの怒りを小さくするために努力し、あなたの許しがあなたより一度て大きくなるために力を_

**_MyurraKitty  
_**_私の場合ソラ子猫_

_~`;'~_

**Please Note:** This will have mentions of Rape/Abuse and Violence. Will contain _slash_/coarse language and themes

**Rating:** T

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Fruits Basket. It is merely a fan fiction story and I am earning nothing from it except encouragement and experience.

**A/N:** I'm starting to think that I really will finish this story by the end of this year (or if something goes wrong, the end of January). It's starting to get hotter here now, but I'm more excited about my Tasmania trip tomorrow - I'm going to have to wake up at four in the morning, be at my school by half-past five, then get on a bus with forty other students in my grade to Sydney, then catch a plane for the first time of my life. I'm sorta nervous about being so high in the air (is afraid of heights) but I'm also looking foreword to it. This is my mega-long update to apologise for disappearing for a week while I'm in Tasmania. I'll be posting photos on Deviant art *grins*

_Also, an apology to all my readers who don't fancy slash - I've had it in the 'Please Note' since the first chapter that there would be slash and I wasn't lying. This story has been planned out for nearly a year now, and in that time I've become fond of Yaoi - however this story is Het, so there is no need to turn this story down (the relationship between Kyo and Yuki is the only mxm relationship mentioned). For my other readers who wish to see more Kyo and Yuki stories, I have two published and more on the way. _

* * *

**Chapter 5  
第5章**  
_The Tale of the Twelve Towers  
物語は、十二の塔_

"Hey Haru…" Tohru spoke softly as the younger boy entered the room again. He had just left a few moments ago to go to the bathroom, and in that time the girl had realised just how cramped she felt in the room.

"Yeah?" he murmured, rubbing a hand through his hair as he observed the brunette's movements. She flushed, turning away from him and rubbing an arm.

"Do you mind if we go outside?" she asked, looking up hesitantly to meet his gaze, almost as if she expected him to be angry. A loud groan droned to the side.

"That's the best idea you've come up with today, woman." Hiro sneered. Tohru smiled obliviously, Kisa crawling on the bed beside her and tugging the shirt she was still wearing that she had borrowed from Haru. Hatsuharu blinked, before taking in Tohru's appearance. The girl did look like she could use some sun, but what was she going to wear?

"Sure." he replied, crossing his arms loosely over his chest. Kisa tugged on the shirt again, Tohru finally looking down and pressing their foreheads together affectionately.

"I can get some of mommy's clothes if you want." the younger girl said softly, Tohru considering this for a moment before shaking her head.

"No, I wouldn't want to be any trouble-"

"Just let Kisa get the clothes. You'd look ridiculous if you went outside in the stupid Cow's clothes." Hiro snapped, Tohru blinking blankly toward him for a moment before smiling softly and nodding. She really was starting to understand the boy and his seemingly spiteful ways.

"Alright." Haru said simply. Kisa grabbed Tohru's hand to help steady herself as she slid off the end of the bed, letting it go and heading toward the door. Hiro was instantly by her side, an arm over the young girl's shoulders. Tohru smiled and sighed wantonly at the sight, turning toward the Ox.

"It really is beautiful isn't it?" Tohru whispered. "To see two people, despite how young they are, that are completely in love with one another. It really is admirable; I cannot help but feel slightly jealous. Oh, how horrible of me!" Tohru gasped, covering her mouth with her hand. Haru grinned, grabbing her wrist and pulling it away from her face gently.

"It's not horrible of you. Sometimes, I find myself resenting Hiro. Kisa was targeted by Akito when he found out about Hiro's affections just as Rin was when he found out about mine." Haru spoke quietly, eyes flicking between both of Tohru's own. "I resented Hiro because Kisa remained by him, while Rin had told me she was fed up."

Tohru's hand touched Hatsuharu's cheek tenderly, her smile in her eyes alone. "It hurts being betrayed by someone you love, doesn't it." Tohru said quietly, her eyes averting to one of the pendants around the Ox's neck. Haru breathed a sigh, knowing that the girl was referring to Kyo and Yuki.

Leaning foreword, Haru pressed a gentle kiss to Tohru's forehead, running his fingers through her hair as he pulled away. "Their priorities were misplaced, but we cannot judge them forever," he said quietly. Tohru nodded, her hands rising to her face as she covered her blush.

"I'm sure Rin was only doing what she thought was best."

Haru rolled his eyes, kneeling down before the older girl and grabbing her wrists softly. He was buzzing with the realisation that she no longer flinched from his touch. Pulling her hands away from her reddened cheeks, he quirked his brow at her expression.

"I was talking about Yuki and Kyo," he breathed. Tohru bit her lower lip, staring down at the pendant once again, eyes tracing the shape.

"I know. It just…hurt. I think that, somewhere, I understand. I know they wont explain everything, they probably don't know how. It's just painful knowing they could have saved me and they just walked away." she whimpered, Haru hearing the tone in her voice that was crying out for comfort and moved to wrap his arms around her. Her hands were pressed to his chest as if on instinct, somewhere in her mind something was nagging at her telling her that he would transform. She breathed a sigh of relief when he did not, resting her head on his shoulder and relaxing against the harmless touch, his voice humming against her ear as he spoke.

"People…people make stupid decisions sometimes, even when the right decision matters most. I guess, maybe they weren't thinking clearly. Their history with Akito probably goes further than we know. And I know I can't judge them. I knew as soon as word got to Akito about Rin and myself that he'd go after her because she was defenceless. I could have stopped it, but I didn't."

"What happened with Rin wasn't your fault. From what I've been told, Akito and Rin were close before that happened. Maybe, you had the idea that he'd come after you instead if he favoured her." Tohru replied, pressing her fingers into his shoulders. Hatsuharu shook his head, denying her reasoning.

"No, I could have stopped it. If only I…"

"Shh." Tohru whispered, moving her hand to press a finger against his lips. "Whenever says 'if only I', it means they believe they could have done something differently to how they did and everything would have been better. When you look at life, and wonder about things such as that, you realise that if someone somewhere did something differently, there's a chance that where you are now would never have happened, including the good things. If my mother hadn't died, I would never have known you or any of the other Sohmas."

Haru listened to her silently, understanding what she said and considering taking her words to heart. Tohru always had the best advice, and usually she had 'my mother once told me' before it. But Haru knew these words were completely her own, words that she couldn't communicate in any other way aside from how she had. They were hers, and it meant so much more to him than handed down advice.

_~`;'~_

_They have destroyed your whole life_

_Ever since you were born they've_

_Dragged you down_

_Not knowing what's on the outside_

_Can't understand right or wrong_

_~`;'~_

"Hatori, come here." Akito's liquid voice cut through the air in the same manner water sweeps away sand. Hatori bristled, looking up and meeting the younger man's cold onyx gaze. He'd been kneeling before the Sohma God for almost an hour now, and it had taken the stubborn man this long to acknowledge the doctor's presence.

Hatori knew that if he'd stood and left, or if he'd said something prior, that it would be his good eye that he'd fear for. He bowed lower for a moment, before raising and shuffling toward Akito who was watching him with a narrow-eyed volatile stare.

"What can I do for you, Akito." he spoke mechanically, eyes averted to the ground. It wasn't a question, but a statement. If Akito wanted to talk to you, he wanted something from you. But years of dealing with the younger Sohma had taught the Doctor patience and endurance if anything. He also knew that you had to prove daily just how much power he had over you, or else he wasn't satisfied.

"I hear Kana is with child, finally. I want you to give her a check-up, make sure the child is healthy. And if it is, I want you to visit all the Zodiacs and that creature, make sure they are also in good health. You wouldn't want Kana's child to be born with the curse now, would you?" Akito grinned, Hatori freezing up.

"…yes, Akito." Hatori bowed his head lower, staring intently at the warn fray in the mat beneath him.

"And another thing," the younger man said suddenly after a moment of silence, reaching to his side and grabbing the birdcage beside him. Akito always had a birdcage with him when he was at the main house, but this one wasn't the usual one the young Sohma always had with him. It was small, made of bamboo with a small jade-shingle roof and a mahogany bottom. Inside, a small bird with feathers coloured white, black and vermillion sat on the single perch silently, head cocked to the side and staring directly at the Dragon with black glassy eyes.

Hatori was, at first, confused. Maybe Akito wanted him to let the creature go. Something was ill here.

Hatori's eyes creased with disdain as Akito held the cage out to him expectantly. "I wish for you to take my friend here to the Ox. Tell him to hang it above his bed head, and not to worry about mess. This bird is special, doesn't even need to be fed.," he said, eyes gleaming with the knowledge that the Dragon wouldn't say 'no' to him.

Hatori shivered as the bird was held out for him to take, the immense dark power of its aura was stifling. He felt the fear and bad memories crawling back up his throat from where he'd repressed them in the back of his mind. His hands were numb and shaking as he attempted to grab the cage.

"What is this magic…?" he said under his breath, Akito hearing but not showing that he had. Hatori swallowed the thick lump of bile in his throat, nodding and taking the bamboo handle in his hand. "Why must Hatsuharu have the bird, may I ask." Akito's eyes narrowed, knowing it was not in fact a question but a demand of him as to an explanation.

"He must, and if you don't make sure he does as I say, it's the innocent Snake who will be taking your punishment, as I know you wont be affected by my treatment anywhere near as much as him." the younger man threatened, brushing wispy strands of raven hair from his eyes as he stared the older man down.

Hatori's silver eyes flashed warily at the mention of harm coming to his friend Ayame, before nodding and placing a hand underneath the bottom of the cage to steady it. Strange, that the bird didn't even make a sound and merely kept its eyes on the people around it - the only sign that it was indeed alive was the occasional cock or turn of its tiny head.

Akito smiled. "Just tell him it's a gift for good luck from Ritsu." Hatori nodded stiffly, opting to avoid conversation further. Turning to leave, he heard Akito call his name.

Akito's grin widened as he pulled his sleeve up to expose his pale wrist with a small black and red beaded bracelet.

"Say hello to Kana for me." he whispered, Hatori's eyes straining with the will to glare forcedly at the Sohma God for his figurative pushing and shoving. Akito was testing the older man's limits once again, and the spiteful child knew it.

_~`;'~_

_The world is dying on you_

_And you just turning your back not knowing what's on the outside_

_Poisoning our brainwashed mind_

_They have decided that you will die_

_A painful death_

_~`;'~_

Akito was sitting on the windowsill, one leg propped up on it while the other hung outside the building, rolling leaves and flower buds between his toes as he broke off a stem of a cherry blossom and held it up, picking the petals off one by one.

"He loves me, he loves me not. He loves me, he loves me not…" he whispered repeatedly, yes glazing as he held each one between his fingers, ripping the velvety pink petals from the yellow pollen-swollen centre. By the time each petal had fallen from the stem, blowing off his lap with the gentle breeze and onto the mat beneath the window inside his room, his eyes were watering. "…he loves me not…"

Akito watched as the last petal blew from the loose grip of his fingers and in the opposite direction of the others, the breeze carrying it further out into the garden. The raven watched with narrowed eyes as Kisa and Hiro passed. The love-struck grade-school boy and girl caught sight of the petal, the young Tiger grabbing the Ram's hand and dragging him after her as she tried to catch it. They were too lively, too happy. He almost wished that the horrible fortune that petal had predicted on Akito would pass onto them as they finally caught it, only he knew that would never happen.

They needed reminding that the Sohmas could never be happy.

It surfaced memories of when he was only a young boy. His mother was unwell; always sad and depressed, always telling him he had to be the most generous Sohma God that the family had seen since the Zodiac legend. His mother claimed she was lucky that, although the curse had still managed to taint her only child, he wasn't born a Zodiac and therefore she was able to embrace him without him transforming. She'd always showered words of pity for the mothers and fathers of the twelve children of the Zodiac legend, and more so for the parents of the Cat-Cursed.

That was, until he was almost five years old. His mother was crying and screaming, breaking things and shouting profanities toward his unknown father. All his previous education about being civil toward the other Zodiac cursed children was thrown out the window as she sat him down, a mad glinting in her bloodshot teary eyes as she contradicted her own teachings. She claimed that the animals were lesser than him, and he needed to conduct his power over them, intimidate them and manipulate them to get what he wanted. Hurt them. She went on to say despicable things about the Cat, her previous views corrupt by some force outside the knowledge allowance of his age. She called 'it' a monster, a worthless creature that didn't deserve life.

When he was seven, he found out why. A woman and a two-year-old boy came to the main house under his mother's summoning. The boy had orange hair, and stood behind his mother's dress, though whether he was terrified of the older boy or the insanely manic expression on the estranged raven woman beside him, Akito was never sure.

Akito had never been nasty to the boy when they'd first met, despite knowing fully well that he was the Cat. He'd seen the previous cat in the cage; trademark orange hair and molten eyes striking out like a sudden snakebite on the ankle. Tanned skin and a wild fire inside him that seemed almost unreachable behind the bars of his prison - it was the same look in this child. He'd decided then and there that he didn't want to cage this cat, and instead he wanted to keep him close - care for him. He wanted to become what his mother had originally requested he'd be - the most generous God.

He also knew he could never tell his mother about this first impression.

And then it was revealed. The reason Hatori, the Dragon, had become his father figure while his real one was 'away on business.' as his mother had told him so many times. The reason his mother despised the Cat so much, and the reason why she was staring at the mother as though she wanted to kill.

"Hows my husband?" was the first thing Akito's mother had said, hissed more so. Glaring at the blonde woman before her, Akito could have sworn he seen a glint of accomplishment in his mother's eyes as the boy flinched and hid behind his mother more.

"I'm currently experiencing a rather rough patch with him right now," she said quietly in reply, her voice betraying her confident façade. Akito stared owl-eyed between his mother and the other woman, watching the confrontation.

"And why is that."

"…he doesn't love our son." she said quietly, her hand absently grabbing the young boy's wrist and pulling him out in front of her and on her lap, but leaning back so her chest didn't touch him and transform him. Akito kept an eye on the woman's movements, watching as she checked the young boy's wrist, fingers brushing a strand of bone-and-blood beads before she turned back to Akito's own raven mother.

"do _you_?" his mother sneered challengingly. The woman flinched, shaking but not giving any outward sign of agreement or denial. "Why. If he's so ashamed why doesn't he come back to me and his first son he'd abandoned, his real child that isn't a monster or a demented creature!" Akito's eyes widened, mouth dropping open as he processed the words silently.

That…that boy had the same father…as him?

"Because he loves me. He endures the hardships of his body and mind's rejection of our son because he loves me.," she whispered.

"You whore! He loved me, only me! He was married to me, had a child with me! And then you show up, the summer fling from the past, and instantly my son and I are cast aside like worn shoes - no good for the long run right? He never divorced me, you are forcing him to become an adulterer! I will not allow him to annul this marriage. If he wishes to annul anything, it should be either your illegitimate affair or his rights to call himself a man! My son," she started softly, pulling Akito towards herself and wrapping her arms around him from behind. "You know who my son is, don't you. You know he can demand anything, anything at all. And if he were to demand his father, there would be nothing you could do about it!"

Akito felt uncomfortable; his mother was using him as a tool now. He didn't like it. But he loved her so much; he only wanted her to be happy. He was so torn, that little boy had the same father as himself; he didn't want him to grow up without his parents. He didn't deserve that. He deserved an easy life. He was just a child, it wasn't his fault.

The blonde woman was silent, fists on her knees either side of her young son were shaking with restraint, before looking up through her fringe. "What would you have me do?" she said quietly, defeated. Akito's mother narrowed her eyes viciously like an animal ready to strike, letting her son go and directing him toward the door. She gestured with her head for the Cat child to go with her son, the redheaded boy did so without question, Akito reasoning that he was used to being demanded of.

"Go with Kyo to the garden." she said without looking at the child. Akito knew his mother had had to force herself not to call him a creature, and address him by his name. And silently, he could not tell if he was bemused or proud.

Akito was about to take the child's hand as he would any other, but when he seen his mother's glare he set a hand on the boy's shoulder instead. As soon as the two of them had stepped outside the room, the young boy took his hand and stared up at him with a smile.

"Akito?" he asked. The raven could only nod. The boy's smile grew, and he enveloped the older boy's waist in his arms as he turned to embrace him. "Daddy talks about you all the time. Hatori san tells him about you when he comes to visit. He's proud of you," the child whispered. Akito's eyes widened at the young boy's ability to speak so well, but the words only made him resist the urge to push the child away. It wasn't right; the Cat was supposed to be a cruel disgusting creature who would hate anything and anyone. If anything, the Cat was supposed to hate him for their father, whom he'd never met, favouring his eldest almost non-existent son over the child he'd lived with and raised for two whole years.

Akito frowned - his father had abandoned him and his mother for that woman and this thing. But for some reason, his anger faulted with the last word. He forced a tight, awkward smile and gently pried the child's arms from around his midsection.

"So…you really are my brother, Kyo?" he asked, brows raised. The child nodded, but bit his lower lip. Leaning closer, he held a hand up to his mouth and whispered much the way a naïve child does, thinking no one else would hear.

"Daddy doesn't like me very much." he breathed, Akito's brow raising as he took the child's hand and led him out to the garden.

A year and a half later, Akito had seen his younger brother Kyo several times and each time longer than the last. He found he had a small misplaced affection for the boy, and was close to admitting to himself that he did indeed love his brother in the way his mother was trying and eventually succeeding in preventing him from.

One day, his mother called an audience with him. She sat before him quietly, not even blinking as she stared at her only son tiredly. Without warning, her hand come up to the boy's cheek and struck hard. Akito fell to the floor, holding his cheek in his hand.

"How could you." his mother hissed. "I raised you to be assertive, and here you are playing with that creature behind my back!"

"He's my brother!"

"He's a monster!" she screamed, throwing an empty teacup from the low table before her towards the boy, though she missed him by two feet. Akito stared at her, the lower lid of his eye twitching.

"He's my brother and I will protect him. I want only what is best for him." he hissed quietly after his mother's minor tantrum. The woman glared at him, reaching out and grabbing a fist of his kimono. Pulling her son to his knees again, she brought the flat palm of her hand across his unmarked cheek.

"I have told you the story of the cat and the rat, have I not?" she said suddenly after a pregnant silence had hung in the air around them. Akito nodded wordlessly. She smiled, but her eyes were steely cold. He shivered. What had happened to his mother to make her like this? It was all that woman's fault for coming into their lives.

The woman set her son down again, her thumb tenderly stroking his split lower lip for a brief moment before she sat back on her ankles, staring at her son as he continued to avert his eyes. He was angry. His mother struck him, yelled at him, cared not for him any longer. But he couldn't bring himself to hate her for it. He needed to hate someone, but he couldn't hate her.

"Go find him, I brought him here. I want to show you both something, and then I want to introduce you to Yuki." Akito nodded, standing and brushing himself off. He'd never met Yuki, but he was sure he was a Zodiac, and a younger cousin as well. Though the age and appearance had never been told to the raven, Akito was sure he'd know Yuki when he seen him. The only thing that had ever been said, was his mother saying the boy was the most beautiful child she'd ever seen.

The thought alone angered him. When he was but an infant, his mother had told him he was beautiful, the most beautiful child she'd ever lain eyes on. Everything changed when his brother was born, though.

It took him a few minutes, but he found Kyo. He was playing with a mauve-haired boy. Both were laughing and having fun, Kyo poking the child in the face with a mud-covered finger and the slightly older boy went cross-eyed trying to see the mark the redhead had left on his face.

That was Yuki.

Akito's breath stopped - Yuki was indeed beautiful. Though the child was at least half his age, he couldn't help but feel the need to claim the boy as his. It wasn't a romantic attraction, but more an attraction of power and need. The ability to get what he wanted, and he wanted that beauty for himself.

And then Kyo, his brother, did something so peculiar of a four-year-old. He leant over until the two were touching noses and staring at one another. They giggled for a moment, before Yuki pressed his lips to the Cat's briefly. Giggling, the fairer of the two pulled away and ran, shouting out that Kyo couldn't catch him.

Akito's anger flared. Without any warning, the moment Yuki disappeared through the trees, he reached out and grabbed his brother by the sleeve of his shirt, dragging him backwards and pushing him over. Glaring at the younger boy who stared up at him with frightened, tear-filled eyes.

"My mother wants to see you." Akito couldn't help but sneer. There was no way that Yuki would be with Kyo. Yuki would be with him, not his brother.

The two of them made their way silently into the house, Kyo attempting to grab his brother's hand on the way there only to have the raven swat his hand away. A few moments later, Kyo tried again, and Akito sighed and gave in. The immense anger was gone, and he could only feel shame for how he'd reacted to his innocent brother's playing.

"So I see you know Yuki?" he tried, hoping to apologise in his own way. Kyo smiled, the excess moisture in his eyes disappearing as he beamed his response.

"Mmhm. I met him last year when I came to visit you, we play every day. He's not scared of my power to change because he does it too!" Akito regretted bringing Yuki into the conversation, though he couldn't help but feel some sort of connection. Thinking things through, there were only three creatures he could be due to the soft colouring of his features; the cow, the snake or the rat. He'd already met the first two, so he could only guess that Yuki was the rat.

Then it hit him - the Rat was closest to God. No wonder he wanted the Rat for himself. He growled almost inaudibly, praying Kyo didn't hear it. He let go of his brother's hand the moment they stepped outside his mother's door. Opening it, he guided the Cat inside with a hand on each shoulder. Though it was more for comfort than direction.

What had happened after that was a blur. His mother had struck Kyo, ripping the bracelet from his wrist. Akito had watched in silent horror as Kyo changed, body disfiguring and the putrid smell of burnt rotten flesh filled the air and his nostrils. He could taste decay on his dry tongue, and it wasn't pleasant in the slightest.

"Now you see? He's a monster! It's all his fault! He's the reason that your father won't come back to us! It's his fault you're stuck with this curse, my child! Hate him, I demand you despise him! He's not innocent, he's not naïve. He knows it's his fault! It's his fault no one loves you!"

The creature curled on its side away from Akito and his taunting mother in shame. Akito felt the words melting in his head as she continued in the same manner for several minutes, the realisation was too strong. His mother was right - Kyo was a shameful creature that he could hardly believe he'd associated himself with.

Biting his tongue in an effort to stop the bile, he watched as the creature crawled pitifully and grabbed the bracelet himself. Sliding it on his wrist, his bones and flesh moved back into place, his weary form still crumpled on the mat beneath him. Akito started to cough violently, his chest burning as though it were on fire and his forehead felt too cold but his fringe against it stifled him with heat.

"Brother…" it wailed pathetically. Akito bit his lip, eye twitching. With a sudden fury he leapt up in his seat, fists clenched at his side as he shouted at the Cat. The creature, _it_.

"Never call me that again! You are nothing but a worthless abomination! You waste air like that stupid cow wastes brain cells! It's all your fault! No one loves you, you pathetic creature! Stay away from here, you will never be a part of the Zodiac! You will never speak to Yuki again! It's all your fault! They all hate you! _I _hate you!"

The words flew from his mouth with no control, the rage burning deep in his chest as his mother's words finally sunk in. Without anything more than a pained whimper, the boy scampered to his feet and staggered out the door, his body trembling with the exertion of his transformation.

Shaking and trembling from all the adrenaline of shouting, he fell into his seat and stared at his hands. He couldn't help but grin. It felt so _good_ to let lose like that - to let himself go and do what he truly wished in his heart. He would be what his mother wanted - he would be generous. Generous to let them all live. Everyone was beneath him, he controlled them all. His mother was right.

His revelling silence was broken by an appraising hand on his shoulder. Snapping his head in his mother's direction, the back of his hand connected sharply with her cheek, her body twisting as she fell to the floor, staring at him in shock.

"What are you looking at, you whore! Get up and go get Yuki, I wish to see him!" he demanded, eyes blazing.

Every time Yuki associated with the cat there afterwards until he left the estate, Akito would repeat those words to his mother.

That night, Hatori visited Akito's house for three reasons. The first was to erase Yuki's memory of Kyo, the second was to treat the Rat child's injuries from the punishment he'd received from Akito for betraying his fate, and the third was to treat the unexplainable illness that had overcome Akito; the same illness that took over all the previous Sohma Gods the moment they rejected their humanity. If you listened to the whispers heard in isolated corners of the family under the inky darkness of night, there was plenty of talk that described the situation perfectly.

Hence, the explanation as to how Akito's condition became secretly known thereafter amongst the Sohmas as 'Black Heart' disease.

_~`;'~_

_I'm only thing that exists in their poisoned mind_

_I'm not gonna take it anymore_

_This is my life, I wanna have control_

_He's trying to play god with your life_

_~`;'~_

Tohru walked alongside Kisa and Hiro, Hatsuharu's lazy pace not a foot behind her. Kisa was walking in the middle, Tohru holding one hand while Hiro held the other. Haru watched with a soft compassionate smile. The ways of children were much like the ways of Tohru herself. Calm and carefree; he almost wished they'd never grow up.

But Tohru was grown up, and she'd experienced what being an adult comes with. Responsibilities, heartache, stress and anxiety, memories…

Hatsuharu would never forgive himself if something else happened to her.

Kisa's eyes caught something ahead of them, letting go of both Hiro and Tohru's hand as she followed it with her eyes and her small body. Hiro kept alongside her, Haru watching as their attention was drawn to a petal in the wind. Kisa grabbed Hiro's hand as she dragging him along after her, trying to catch it.

Haru smiled, barely noticing that his pace was now matched with the young woman beside him, even their steps were the same. "We should catch up to them." he said, clearing his throat afterwards. Tohru grinned and shook her head, reaching out and touching his arm.

"Let them go." she said quietly. Haru watched her for a moment, expression giving away nothing, before gesturing with his head toward an adjacent path.

"Alright. I want to show you something. Momiji found it." he replied, arms folded over his chest. Tohru smiled brightly, following him close enough that their shoulders were brushing, her fingertips occasionally touching his leg as her arms moved with her elegant stride.

He watched her from the corner of his eye. For a clumsy girl, she knew how to hold herself high and confident. He guessed she was only clumsy when she was trying - her body naturally moved in the way it would take most years of practising just to be comfortable with it. Her feet moved in a straight line, one in front of the other and toes pointing straight. With the way her arms swayed slightly in front and behind herself, her hip also moved to balance her. Her body spoke of that of a woman.

His shoe scuffed on a lifted root in the path, Tohru giggling at the sight of his flushed embarrassment. Little did she know that the embarrassment was more for his shame of watching her the way he was.

"So where is it?" she asked quietly. Haru's arms unfolded, holding his hand out to her to help her over a couple of loose stepping stones that wobbled beneath her weight. Tohru didn't let go of his hand, moving it to thread her fingers with his.

"It's just up ahead. It's the old cage." he said quietly. Tohru blinked, a solemn look coming over her face.

"Why would you want to show me that?" she asked, her thoughts going to Kyo being locked away. Something in her couldn't believe Haru was going to bring her to a place like that, and another part was curious as to why he wanted to in the first place. Her trust in the Ox led her to merely grip his hand tighter in his, demanding an answer.

"Because it's a beautiful place. It's overgrown with vines and mosses. It's in the forest, so the only light that comes through is in a circular gap in the foliage above it. Animals go there all the time, a waterwheel provides as a filter for the stream there, making the water clean to drink." he said, his eyes glazed with memory.

Tohru thought it sounded as though he visited the place often. And suddenly, she had an urge to see why. On the trail through the forest, she pain no attention to the flora or fauna around them, her mind kept up with imagining a case of iron bars in the middle of such a place, vines and lichens turning the poles green over time and providing a camouflage for small animals.

When she seen it, she was at a loss for words.

"This…_this_ is the cage?" she breathed, her eyes wide. Haru nodded, pulling her into the small round clearing. Grass and low ferns tickled Tohru's ankles as they passed through it, her eyes pulled to the movement of a couple of small rabbits. Their ears perked up at the sight of them, before they took off behind the cage.

"It was originally bigger, you can see the ruins behind it from where a tower was built. Sohma legend says that the top of the tower was where the Cat would reside to sleep every night, and the rest of the Sohmas could see the golden light of the room from their own twelve towers where the main house was rebuilt. The cottage was where the Cat spent the day, as well as outside where we are standing now. Generations are said to have lived in that little house." Haru said, eyes glittering as he moved toward the small stream and the ever-spinning wooden waterwheel on the side of the cottage. Tohru ran her fingers through the clear water as it ran off the edges of the scoops, her mouth open in wonder.

"Why did they tear it down?" she whispered. Haru shook his head.

"They didn't. It fell, along with all the others in the same night." he answered. Tohru stood silently, eyes wide and waiting for an explanation. Haru caught the look, watching as the shadows from the leaves on the birch tree blocking the sun danced on her face. Sighing, he tugged her away from the waterwheel and toward a large open space in the clearing. Sitting down, he tapped the ground beside him.

The grass came up to the middle of their backs, Tohru stretching her legs out and enjoying the warmth of the sun on her pale skin. A couple of rabbits nearby watched with caution, ears flicking around as they listened for danger. Tohru plucked a small stem of white onion-weed flowers, one of them had a small red ladybeetle crawling leisurely across the stalk and onto one of the flowers.

"The last Cat that had lived in that house was only a teenager when an intruder stepped into this clearing. He'd been living on his own for years by that time, and had a wild but still neatly kept look about him, according to the stories. He cut his hair and cleaned his skin unlike the previous forest bound Cats, but his eyes held a fire that no one could touch, though many desired it. Many wanted a taste of the passion they knew the Cat was capable of."

"Sounds just like Kyo." Tohru giggled, a contented smile on her face. Haru grinned, rubbing a hand through his hair before leaning back on his elbows.

"You've been told about the Rat and the Cat, am I correct?" he asked. She nodded.

"Hasn't everyone heard about that story?"

"There is another story." Haru whispered. "One only the Sohmas know of. It has only been written once, and that scroll is kept in the Sohma Library of Ancestry. The story has been told in many ways, but I myself have read the text from the scroll, I know it off by heart."

"Can I hear it?" she asked quietly, interested.

Haru nodded. "To finish the tale of the towers, I must first tell you the story about the Cat and the Rat." he finalised. Tohru twisted the flower stalk between her fingers, eying him intensely as she listened. "The Cat was originally female. She and the Rat were lovers, but one day Cat got lost in the forest and was starved after a week of trying to get back. Her feral instincts kicked in, however, and she ate one of Rat's kind. By the time her sister Tiger found her, Rat already knew of this. For that, the Rat couldn't forgive her. He pretended to, but for weeks afterwards could think of only getting revenge on the Cat who had betrayed him. When he was told of the banquet, he knew that there was only one way that he could get back at Cat. It was to tell her the wrong information. Cat, betrayed by her lover, ran and hid in the woods. Starved and suffering malnutrition, Cat found her body warping in the darkness of the cave she refused to leave for years, not even to clean herself. She fed on the rats that dwelled in the wet corners, and her eyes adjusted to the darkness, changing an odd shade of purple from the lack of light. She'd turned into a monster." Haru said, his eyes lowered under Tohru's intense stare.

He'd never repeated the story out loud, for it was a touchingly emotional tale. Each time he thought on it, his Ox spirit felt overwhelmed with remorse and emotional pain. Oh yes, he remembered. The Ox spirit had all the memories of when he was truly alive, including this version of the Cat and the Rat. Only when a tale was true would the Ox inside him stir.

"God had set a price on finding Cat. He'd felt bad for her, knowing what Rat had done. And although her absence at his banquet had insulted him, her disappearance wounded him greatly. After twelve years of Cat missing, Rat finally confessed to knowing she was alive, he felt it every time she ate one of his kind. His grief over the years had made Rat cold, knowing she was alive but not having the courage to find her and what she had become. So God sent out a search for her. The first to find her was the boar, who returned to God saying she'd found something there, but it was not the Cat. But God refused to believe her. And so it went with all the animals, until only Rat was left. God pleaded with him to go to Cat and bring her back. Rat eventually bested his own fear and set out for the Cat he loved, despite the other eleven animals warning him of a creature who felt like Cat but wasn't."

Tohru gasped, hands covering her mouth. Haru knew why. It sounded like a children's story, but for the Sohma Zodiac and anyone who was involved, it was all too easy to picture the story as real. It was as though she was seeing Yuki and Kyo in the place of the Cat and the Rat; Haru had to admit he'd had a hard time reading the story and forcing himself not to think of the two of them.

"When Rat showed up, he seen Cat. But he still loved her. Initially he was scared, and most definitely regretful. But he could tell that it was in deed Cat, whom he loved. He reached out to her, trying to touch her and talk to her. But words reached her ears as though she were underwater, and her eyes appeared as though she were blind. Rat was crying; he felt nothing but guilt for what he'd done to his love. But Cat didn't recognise him. To her, he was just another rat she'd fed on for the past twelve years. Before Rat could ever fight back, Cat had attacked and eaten him."

Haru blinked, his eyes stinging with the Ox's tears of regret for not stopping the Rat from going after Cat. He watched as Tohru's own eyes watered. The tale was a lot more emotional to them - they knew the Rat and Cat spirits personally, Tohru living with them for nearly two whole years of her life.

"God was enraged that his son the Rat was murdered by his daughter the Cat. He cursed them all to live over and over again until their deeds were settled. But Cat in particular was forsaken. God damned her to an eternity with that ugly form, only the blood and bone of one pure of heart could stop her from taking on the body of a monster. And then, to make matters worse, he bound the Cat's gender as that of a male so that Cat and Rat would never make the same mistake again. After the Zodiacs were re-incarnated, the Cat spirit felt a need to make amends for what he had done in his past, and isolated himself from the rest. Though he occasionally was visited by the others, generally his sister the Tiger or his old friend Boar, he never really got to know them. He felt it was best that he not be near them as he didn't want to hurt anyone else. And soon, Cat forgot about what he had once been to the Rat when he was in fact a female."

Tohru bit her lower lip. "So, how come Rat never visited Cat?"

"Rat never visited the Cat because he couldn't forgive himself. And he couldn't stand to see Cat a male and so untouchable."

"But the Cat is really female, right?" she asked, brows raised. Haru nodded.

"When the Curse is broken, Cat will be female again, and no longer have the form of a monster." Tohru narrowed her eyes in thought.

"So if the curse breaks say while Kyo is the Cat, would that turn him into a girl?" she asked incredulously. Haru balked, the thought of Kyo as a girl was as horrifying as it was amusing.

"Uh…no. Just the Cat spirit."

"Hmm, is that why Kyo's gay?" she asked. Haru coughed, finding the conversation turning extremely awkward.

"I dunno, maybe." he said, distractedly. "Anyway, the tale of the towers, right?" he asked. She nodded, pulling her knees up to her chest, resting her chin on them and watching him with a smile. "The intruder who'd never been on the grounds where the Cat lived was merely lost, and had spotted the tower thinking it was one of the twelve Zodiac towers, maybe even his own. The person who stepped onto the Cat's home was indeed the Rat. It was the first time the Rat had ever lain eyes on the Cat since the damnation of the Zodiacs. He spotted the other boy, and instantly knew who he was. But Rat had been raised in a babying household where he was taught to be proper and civilised. Seeing another human out in the forest looking so completely wild was new to him, and intriguing. It took him several weeks, but after visiting the cottage daily the Cat eventually grew to trust him and Rat even provoked a conversation out of the other boy. He was lost in the aspect of bringing the Cat back to life within the Zodiacs that he forgot all about what was happening to them. The spirit of the Cat and the Rat are drawn to one another. They are compelled to fall in love, though it usually takes living within a close proximity of one another for a long time for that to happen. But it took this Rat and Cat six years to fall for one another. Gender didn't bother them, it couldn't. but the Sohma God discovered that the Rat and Cat had fallen for one another again, despite Cat's gender. His wrath was terrible. But this time, Cat and Rat stood up to the Sohma God. Everyone thought the curse was broken when the towers collapsed, but something happened and God's power turned dark, he struck Cat down and killed him."

"How come their love didn't break the curse?" Tohru asked, eyes flicking between both of Haru's. the Ox shrugged.

"I have no idea. We'd always believed that the Cat and the Rat had to fall in love to break the curse again, but it never happened. Since then, the Sohma Gods lock the Cat behind bars close to home and away from the Rat. That is why the Zodiacs were so confused when Akito ordered Kyo to live under the same roof as Yuki - he knew the consequences. Everyone did except them, they knew that the Cat and Rat are compelled to fall in love. That was why Kagura was so set on getting Kyo to fall for her. The Cat was Boar's best friend, and she didn't want to see the Cat die again. Kagura knew that if Kyo and Yuki were to fall in love, the same thing would happen as it did with the twelve towers. The reason they hate one another so is because the two of them are told lies about hating one another, mostly to prevent it"

Haru froze - did Akito _not_ want to prevent it? He was trying to create it all over again...he was trying to kill Kyo and claim Yuki for himself, wasn't he?

Tohru thought hard, unbeknownst to the revelation Haru had stumbled upon in his own mind. "Did…did Kyo or Yuki do anything to anger Akito while they were young?" she asked, frowning. Haru shrugged. What had any of them done to make him despise them and their happiness so?

_~`;'~_

_Choked by your own lies_

_God blessed no one_

_Controlled by your brainwashed mind_

_A vision of salvation nowhere to be found_

_Burn in paradise_

_There is no pearly gate_

_~`;'~_

_引き裂かれた-第5章だから-源氏物語は、十二の塔-エンド  
**So Torn** - Chapter Five - The Tale of the Twelve Towers - **End**  
引き裂かれた-第5章だから-源氏物語は、十二の塔-エンド_

_

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_

**A/N:** please tell me what you think, thanks for reading even if you don't review!

Well, I best be going to get ready - leaving for my plane early in the morning, and I gotta prepare myself to put up with several testy people on the way there, too. I'll update when I get back in a week, ta!

**~MK**


	6. Ring Of Pearls真珠のリング

**So Torn  
ように引き裂かれた**

A Woman Can Forgive A Man For The Harm He Does To Her...But She Can Never Forgive Him For The Sacrifices He Makes On Her Account_  
女性は彼は彼女には害のために男性を許すことができます...しかし、彼女は彼が彼女のアカウントになります犠牲に彼を許すことはできない  
_The Stupid Neither Forgive Or Forget; The Naive Are All Too Happy To Forgive And Forget; And The Wise Will Forgive But Never Forget_  
どちらも許しても忘れて愚かな、素朴なすべてのもを許すことを忘れてしまう満足している、そして賢明な赦されるが、決して忘れて__  
_While Your Anger Strives To Make You Smaller, Your Forgiveness Forces You To Become Bigger Than You Once Were_  
ながら、あなたの怒りを小さくするために努力し、あなたの許しがあなたより一度て大きくなるために力を_

**_MyurraKitty  
_**_私の場合ソラ子猫_

_~`;'~_

Please Note: This will have mentions of Rape/Abuse and Violence. Will contain _slash_/coarse language and themes

Rating: T

Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket. It is merely a fan fiction story and I am earning nothing from it except encouragement and experience.

A/N: Woops, sorry it took so long to Update. Also, there may be very few updates from me for a while, as I'm trying to prove a point to my father and myself that I can last without either writing or going on the computer all the time. Whatever it is that he has a bone to pick with me about. Speaking of bones, did you guys know that tuna in a can has crushed bones in it? lol, random fact there.

* * *

**Chapter 6  
第6章**  
Ring Of Pearls  
真珠のリング

Tohru and Haru were seated before one another on Hatsuharu's bed, legs crossed and talking quietly and contentedly as Hatori walked in. The Ox's expression darkened, Tohru tensing as he turned to face the intruder directly.

"What do you want." Haru snapped, a hand finding the young woman's and squeezing it to comfort her. Tohru eased with Haru's touch, but still watched Hatori cautiously.

"Sorry to disturb you both, but Ritsu left you a gift." Hatori spoke, voice strained with the effort of lying. Entering the room, he held out the small cage with the tiny bird inside out for Haru to take. The Ox watched the Dragon with cool eyes, expression giving nothing away. His lips were tight as he considered replying or not.

"What is th-the gift?" Tohru asked quietly, Hatori's pupils shifting toward her for a brief moment. Aware of her body shuddering cruelly under his gaze, he averted it back toward his younger cousin.

"A bird for good luck. It is enchanted; needs no looking after and makes no sound. It is not real; more so something illusionary such as a mirage." Hatori lied, holding the bird out. Hatsuharu was sceptical, that much he knew.

"Why would Ritsu send me a gift? The last time I talked to him was several years ago, and we had a fall out." Haru retorted.

"Ritsu heard about -" he paused, glancing at Tohru, before changing the sentence "- he just wants to apologise. He will be seeing you tomorrow night, and according to Ayame the thought of continuing fighting with you has him even more paranoid than usual."

Haru's lips quirked to the side in thought before he shrugged, holding a hand out. "Anything else?" he asked, grabbing the handle of the cage and bringing it close to his face. The bird eyed him, wings stretching out before settling back against the creature's tiny body.

"It must be hung over your bed for the charm to work." Haru nodded, not looking up at the Dragon until he went to speak.

"Does Akito know about the gift?" he asked, eyes flickering up and meeting with Hatori's over the roof of the cage. Hatori froze, though his expression gave nothing away as he looked back over his shoulder at the two of them.

"…no." Haru tried to open the door to the cage, spotting the lock. He was about to ask Hatori about the lock, but the older man was gone already.

"Well…" Tohru started, bringing a finger to her lower lip in thought. "that was…strange."

_~`;'~_

_There's A Shadow Just Behind Me_

_Trying Every Step I Take_

_Making Every Promise Empty_

_Pointing Every Finger At Me_

_~`;'~_

Momiji's eyes caught a flicker of movement from the window to his room as he passed by his house. The Rabbit paused, dread rising in his throat and his stomach sinking. As quietly as possible, he managed to bring himself closer to the window without breaking into a cold sweat. Covering his mouth with a hand to quieten his heavy breathing, he peeked through the glass.

He sighed in relief as he recognised the person inside. A young woman sat on his bed, dark hair cascading over her shoulders as she fiddled with her hair tie. Momiji knocked on the window, the raven girl glancing over at him neutrally. She smiled slightly, standing and opening the window.

"Hanajima, what are you doing here?" he asked, folding his arms on the windowsill and resting his chin on them. The raven glanced out at the sky, a rueful expression on her face.

"Tohru's waves are disrupted. I could not find her at Shigure's house, so I came here. I do have a question first however - why are Yuki and Kyo so depressed." she asked, her smooth voice sending chills down Momiji's spine as ever.

"That is…I don't think I should be the one to tell you any of this."

"Tohru is not with you?" she asked, seemingly amazed at the thought. Momiji shook his head, a downcast look crossing his face at the thought. When Tohru hadn't gone to him, but another, it did hurt. Tohru had always been there for his comfort, but when she needed it she never asked it of him. Somewhere, Momiji knew he wasn't what Tohru needed; but was Haru?

"She went to Haru." he said softly. Hanajima stared blankly at him, though he could swear he seen a small smile twitch at her lips.

"Show me."

_~`;'~_

_Everyone is waiting for the light_

_Be afraid, don't be afraid_

_The sun is shining out of my eyes_

_It will not set tonight_

_And the world counts loudly to ten_

_~`;'~_

Haru handed a cup of tea to both Tohru and Hanajima, the brunette pausing her sniffling and looking up off her friend's shoulder to accept the warm drink thankfully. Haru's lips quirked in an emotionless smile, before sitting beside the two of them on the bed. Hanajima's eyes flashed warily, but relaxed again when Tohru reached out a hand and grasped Haru's with it.

"Why would they do this to you." the raven girl whispered, brushing her friend's bangs away from her dampened face. Tohru's breath was heavy against her shoulder, but surprisingly calm despite her tears.

"I…I think they were scared. Too scared to stop it." Momiji said from where he was standing, shuffling his feet around. The raven regarded his offered answer for a moment, before shaking her head in denial and disappointment.

"I'm sorry, but I cannot accept that. Tohru cannot and will not be treated like this. She is to come home with me, and she will live there until she has her own apartment." Hanajima said firmly. Tohru's knuckles cracked as she gripped her friend's sleeve viciously.

"I…" she started, swallowing and turning her gaze to the floor to hide the tears welling in her eyes. "…I appreciate your concern, but I…I'd like to stay. With Haru." Tohru murmured. Hanajima appeared taken aback for the slightest moment, before she smiled softly. Her hand rose to touch Tohru, hesitated, then moved to run through her hair.

"You really are precious, Tohru." she said softly. Then, turning to Haru with a gentle smile and narrowed eyes, she spoke slightly more forcedly. "And you better take care of her. I trust you."

"I will." Haru answered without delay, Momiji concealing a grin behind the back of his hand.

The evening passed relatively fast, Hanajima chose to stay the night to keep Tohru company and give her the female support that she had missed out on prior. Kisa, although knowing what happened, couldn't fully comprehend the severity of what had happened to Tohru and didn't know how to act accordingly. Haru had spent some time away from Tohru with Momiji, discussing how things were going to be worked out from then on.

One particular conversation that came up was Haru asking about Momiji delivering the note and key to Kyo and Yuki. The Rabbit had managed to get it to Yuki, who took it without question. He also told Haru about Akito leaving the main house on his own for a walk for no apparent reason. The new information normally wouldn't have bothered to Ox; whatever Akito did now was treated as a conspiracy.

Haru couldn't help but wonder if he was becoming paranoid.

That night, Tohru and Hanajima fell asleep in the lounge room while watching late-night anime re-runs. Momiji covered the girls in a blanket and tucked pillows under their heads before bidding his best friend farewell and heading home.

Haru grabbed the remote from Hanajima's lap and switched the television off, then turned off the light. Sitting on the coffee table in the centre of the room, Haru watched as the light flickering from the small marine fish tank tucked away in the corner cast ethereal shapes across their faces, Tohru's eyes flickering behind her lids in a dream.

Switching the light in the tank off so that the girls' sleep went undisturbed, he seated himself back on the low table, crossing his legs in a half-lotus style. Propping an elbow onto his knee, he pressed his palm to his face and sighed heavily, peeking through his fingers and watching Tohru's hand squeezing Hana's.

By the time his eyes were fully adjusted to the dark, Haru caught sight of a single tear running over Tohru's pale cheek. Brushing it away with his thumb, he shivered when he felt how cold her skin was. There was a part of him that wished she would never be cold again, but the hidden want behind the thought was repressed to the back of his mind as he pulled back and crossed his arms over his chest.

"How is it you can do this to me." he murmured.

_~`;'~_

_The sun is shining out of my hands_

_It can burn, it can blind you all_

_When it breaks out of the fists_

_It lays down hotly on the face_

_It will not set tonight_

_~`;'~_

Haru finally went to his own room an hour later. He hadn't even realised that the time had gone so fast while he had been watching Tohru sleep, occasionally brushing away a tear that escaped from her tightly closed lids.

Pulling the covers up to his chin, he lay there a few moments before changing his mind and kicking them off. Sitting up, he tugged his shirt off, removed his socks and lay back down again. This time, he didn't bother with the covers. It wasn't particularly cold nor hot. It was just an average temperature for the night, but uncomfortably so.

It had never taken Haru that long to fall asleep before, but now it felt as though something was keeping his eyes open on purpose. Like something had burrowed beneath his skin and was tormenting him from the inside.

Rolling onto his stomach, he slung an arm over his pillow but made no effort to pull it closer. Closing his eyes, he forced his mind to stop whatever it was doing to keep him awake, and he almost instantly dropped toward sleep. The sensation of falling overcame him and he startled himself fully awake again, heart beating erratically in his chest and sweat forming on his brow.

"I haven't done that in years…" he breathed to himself, pressing a shaky hand to his face.

After a small amount of reluctance, he lay back down on his back and folded his arms loosely behind his head. Haru never admitted it, but he lived in his head for the most of his life. When he turned black or grey he had no problem in saying what he wanted to. But when he was white, he became lost in a swirl of ideals in his head. He'd create scenarios and manipulate people and voices - even feelings.

Because he couldn't express himself to other people.

Tohru was an exception, however. Tohru could tell what he was thinking before it even came to the subject.

Closing his eyes again, he tried to picture the place he had taken Tohru to: the Cat's old tower. Instead, he seen it in all it's glory. He'd never seen that before. In fact, he'd never seen anything he hadn't consciously wanted to see. He tried to open his eyes, but they felt as though they were glued together.

_-not yet, watch closely._

Haru gasped at the voice in his head, though it was merely a whisper it sounded like a child's voice. The image went through the window, a young man standing in the middle of the room with his back turned, someone else's pale hands on his shoulders, moving to the back of his head. Haru watched as though he were there circling the room.

In the middle were two very familiar people locked together at the mouth. He couldn't help but feel queasy. "Yuki, Kyo! Where the fuck am I?" he cried out. They didn't hear him, and Haru knew why. He couldn't open his mouth just as he couldn't open his eyes - as though they were glued together by force.

_-you cannot speak here._

The two of them broke apart, Haru's eyes widening. They weren't Kyo and Yuki - they were older, their hair was longer and the silver-haired male's hair was cut differently, the redhead had a scar over his eyebrow and both their faces were structured differently. Their clothes were dappled colours, old colours. They turned to him, the one he'd thought was Kyo looking right through him with a small smile before turning to his companion.

_"Yetsu."_ he murmured._ "You know I can't let you out of here."_ the one with silver hair and deep indigo eyes looked down.

_"If you love me, you'll let me leave."_ he said. Haru noticed that the one with orange hair was holding a blade against the silver-haired male's abdomen, slicing into the skin just slightly. The orange haired male chuckled bitterly.

_"And what of me? Hn? If you loved me you wouldn't have told him."_

_"He owns me, and he told me he'd bless our relationship."_ the one named Yetsu cried, clinging to the sleeves of who Haru guessed was the cat. _"I didn't want him to hurt you, I wanted to be with you! I wanted to get married and have children! You could still have children, god wasn't cruel enough to make your body completely that of a man. I love you so much Kishi, but I'm not ready to die!"_

_"You don't love me enough to die with me?"_

_"You're already dead!" _Yetsu cried out again, shaking his head and resting his forehead on Kishi's shoulder. _"I can't die yet. I love you, I really do."_

_"But not enough to die with me. Which means you don't love me enough to break the curse."_ Haru felt his stomach twist, and knocked into the cupboard behind him. Surprisingly, something outside clattered._ "Who's there?"_ Kishi shouted, turning to look at Haru again.

Haru wanted to open his eyes, he didn't want to lay there and watch this. _"Yetsu, what are you doing? You have to get out of here, boar's watching your child but I don't know for how long she can keep her safe." _a man with white hair said, stepping through the doorway. He was older than the two Haru could see in the room, and he had a long black bang hanging over one of his eyes reaching his collarbone, contrasting his short white hair. Haru felt himself grow sick again - it was one of his ancestors.

_"Hinaru, what are you talking about? Child?"_ he asked, turning to look at the redhead before him. Haru caught the soft look of love and apology that passed his face. Yetsu had let go of Kishi's arms, but the blood was still spreading over his white shirt from the cut.

_"Your daughter, Koita. Kishi gave birth to her three days ago, but the injuries sustained from giving birth with a male body was slowly killing her."_ the other ox stated, eyes catching sight of the blood on Yetsu's shirt. _"Yetsu, why are you bleeding?"_

_"Its her, she wont let me go."_ he said, trying to step away from the redheaded man only to have his shirt caught in a fist. _"See? She doesn't want to die by herself."_

Haru's head was hurting - how come he could see the redheaded man but the other ox could not? And why did Yetsu say he was already dead?

_"Maybe she doesn't want you to live by yourself."_

_"But I'd have our child!"_ he cried out, his palms facing up in a defeated way.

_"You couldn't touch her without transforming. Even if it was an accident. A newborn cant take care of a rat, nor comprehend why her father changes so." _the ox said. Yetsu's eyes started to water.

_"I never even seen her…"_ he said quietly. Haru felt his chest tug, the foreign feeling of something hot behind him._ "…I don't want to die."_

_"She wants you to, then you have to. The cat kills the rat in the end, remember?"_ the ox said solemnly. Blocking the door, the ox continued to stare down at the rat. Haru's eyes widened as Kishi retracted the blade, before jabbing it foreword into the rat's stomach.

_-do you see now?_

Flames started to bleed across the room, and suddenly Haru was outside again. The tower was alight, the distant screams of Yetsu and the ox, Hinaru, in the air. Suddenly he seen the baby, watching as it grew into a young fire-haired woman before his eyes in a matter of moments. She had a shy look on her face which contrasted with her red hair and bright blue eyes.

The next instant, the woman was holding a child in her arms, a small redheaded girl with deep blue eyes. The child grew before his eyes, and the woman aged. The child was a woman now, and something seemed familiar about her - she had Tohru's eyes. Once again, another child. A boy this time with green eyes and red hair. As he aged, a small child appeared in his arms. This child, another red-headed girl with deep indigo eyes. The woman aged, and she looked almost exactly like Tohru, except for her eyes.

Haru couldn't take this - what was this? All the generations after the towers burnt down? It was too much to take in!

_-just wait._

Then, instead of standing in an ominous distance, the woman with red hair and indigo eyes was in a clearing. Old familiar ruins were scattered behind her, and she smiled warmly toward him. She turned around, calling out an indiscernible name. A small girl with brown pigtails dirt smudges down her face, a familiar boy's cap on her head as she ran toward her mother. The girl had swirling brown eyes, exactly how he remembered them - wide and expressive.

_'Tohru, where did you get that cap?'_ the woman asked. The girl sniffled, eyeing the clearing around her as though it were the first time she was actually seeing it.

_'A boy saved me when I was lost, remember?'_ she said. _'A boy with silver hair.'_ the woman grinned, kneeling down in front of the girl and grabbing her by the elbows gently.

_'You know, my father told me once of a silver-haired man. He said that the descendent who sees the silver haired ancestor as a reincarnation will bring him back together with his fire haired lover forever. He said that we are descended from the fire haired woman who captured his heart, but apparently she didn't captivate him enough. He hadn't fallen for her completely. If that's true, you may just save the world, little lady.'_ the woman said, smiling.

_-don't you see it yet?_

He wanted to wake up. This was ridiculous. Tohru was not a distant branch of the Sohma family, separated by generations and generations. She wasn't born from the almost impossible love of the Cat and the Rat - there was no way.

If she was born from their diluted bloodline, that would make her some sort of…

_-she's an Oracle. The Sohma Oracle. And who better for her than the Ox - rightful first hand of the gods?_

That's right, the Ox was supposed to be the first hand of God. He was supposed to be the favourite of God, but the Rat stole his place. But… no this wasn't right. If all of this was true, then Tohru was like a walking Sohma temple, and Akito had desecrated it like a spoilt child deprived of candy.

The Sohma libraries had told of an Oracle bloodline within their own, but much like a Mage, their powers disperse when touched by sin.

_-Akito._

_Akito? What about him?_

_-What indeed._

_Wait…Akito knew she was…he knew she was an Oracle! How could he have known!_

_-He's the Sohma God. A God who bleeds, but a God nonetheless. He knows everything he needs to know._

_So if her grandfather predicted that she would bring the Cat and the Rat together again, it would be true because he would have also been an Oracle. Which means that by forcing Carnal Knowledge onto Tohru, he had hoped to dissipate her powers to save the Cat and the Rat and break the curse._

_He knew and he intervened on purpose! They angered him, so not only did he attack them through harming Tohru, he also destroyed any chance they would ever have again. There's no way for her to save them and break the curse!_

_-How bad do you want it? How bad do you want to be free of it? There is still a way._

_How? How can we fix this? How, please tell me!_

_-You have to reinstate her power. Reverse the Sin. Take what he did and make the act one not of ill._

_You mean…lie with Tohru?_

_-Teach her love, make her accept it if you must. It's the only way._

Haru was thrown from his sleep, falling unceremoniously to the floor in the dead of the night. He hit the ground with a harsh thud, moaning in pain as he cracked his head against the wall. His brow was drenched in sweat, terrified gaze half-lidded in pain was turned toward the bed where he had been part of that strange dream. The one that took him back.

_~`;'~_

_The perfect cancer was spreading and twisting_

_You start explaining and I'll stop pretending_

_That all of my actions are for_

_And all of my heartache is from_

_You_

_~`;'~_

The light in the hallway switched on, the rice-paper door to his bedroom sliding and clacking against the frame. The two young women standing in the entrance didn't turn the light on, but rather used what was coming from the hall light.

Both ran over, Tohru instantly cradling Haru's head to her chest without a second thought while Hanajima checked him over for injuries.

"What happened?" Tohru asked, stroking her fingers through his hair and gently kneading his throbbing scalp.

Haru swallowed, staring at the bed where he had been sleeping. There was a faint ringing in his ears that sounded like chirping. "I…I just had a bad dream." he lied. It wasn't like that wasn't what it was, its just that he wasn't sure that it was all that it was.

Something moved, he could have sworn it did. His eyes darted around the room, ready to hurt whatever it was especially if it was a threat to the girls. Hanajima seen that Haru was staring around the room with suspicious eyes, moving swiftly beside Tohru and wrapping her arms around the other girl's shoulders. Tohru released Haru, absently turning her embrace to Hana with slightly less enthusiasm.

The Ox stood, his temples pounding and his eyes fazing out for a moment in dizziness. He should have remembered not to stand up that quickly after hitting his head. After steadying on his feet, he took a cautious step toward the window.

There it was again, he could have sworn something was moving. Grey slitted eyes trained on every object as he made his way across the room. Hands on the windowsill, he leant out and glanced into the darkness. He couldn't see anything, but an odd fearful sensation welled within him and he resisted the urge to pull his head back inside the window.

Something crackled loudly behind him, Haru jumping and the girls both screaming out in fright. "What is it?" he said suddenly, pulling his head back in and staring around the room. It crackled again instantly afterwards before a slow piano-song filled the air. Haru's breathing stifled in his throat, hand gripping the windowsill tightly.

Out of impulse, Haru went to press his back into the window, only to knock it off the peg holding it open. The windowpane fell, crushing his fingers and cutting into his flesh. Letting out a yelp, he ripped his hand away from the window, flinching when the wooden frames clacked against one another.

"What's going on here?" the voice was low, cool and slightly concerned. The light suddenly flickered on, Hatori's white-gold eyes scanning the scene before him. First his eyes went to Hanajima and Tohru who were clinging to one another desperately, sheet white and eyes wide. From what he had heard, Hanajima was not one to get scared.

Then, his eyes and ears turned to the source of the music. Sitting innocently at the foot of Haru's bed, a square mahogany jewellery box sat open, a swan figurine stretched with it's long graceful neck elegantly outstretched and wings spread and arched back, was spinning around in circles on a spring while a copper looped key turned in the back of the box. The jewellery box was empty save for a single pearl necklace.

The swan and key stopped rotating and the music stopped. Sighing, Hatori stepped foreword and slapped the wooden lid of the music box closed, picking it up and placing it on the dresser behind him.

Finally, his eyes went to Hatsuharu, who was standing over by the window also as blanched and haunted looking as the girls. He was cradling his right hand, which was obviously wounded due to the blood steadily flowing from it over his other hand and dripping to the floor.

Behind the teenage boy, the window was slammed closed, a smear of blood marked the wood.

"Never mind, I can guess." he said finally, when no one answered him. Sighing once again, he reached out for Hatsuharu's hand, examining it and saying he'd be back in a moment. There was a nasty gash right across the boy's knuckles, and several splinters were jutting up from the raw flesh. His fingers were locked in a taut-claw position of pain, and obviously couldn't move until the splinters were removed.

Tohru unexpectedly jumped up from the floor, running over to Haru and throwing her arms around his neck. Hanajima appeared perfectly fine now, and smiled slightly at the two of them before standing and making her way over to Haru to inspect the damage as well.

Haru wasn't that distracted that he didn't notice the door to the birdcage swing shut. The same one that was supposed to be locked.

**トーンは、その**第6章-真珠のリング**終了**  
**So Torn **- Chapter Six - Ring Of Pearls -** End**  
**トーンは、その**第6章-真珠のリング**終了

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**A/N: **bloody hell, I get distracted too easily. My apologies for the long wait, but I do hope that you don't mind the slightly short chapter this time. How has everyone been? I'm on holidays right now, school sucks so much. I cant concentrate in any of my classes since we were given the laptops, and all I want to do is write, it sucks! I'm falling behind in math again *cries*

As I said in the top A/N, there will be updates but few and far in between unless people review (is easily peer pressured, lol)

**Take care,**  
**~MK**


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